If you haven’t discovered the world of Pinterest yet, you probably will soon. The first time I heard about Pinterest, I had no idea what it was. The way it was described to me, it seemed like another form of online shopping (in a way, it is), and I did enough of that. In fact, as many other people’s first experience with Pinterest, I found it very confusing. Once I got the hang of it, it was actually pretty fun to ‘pin’ things that I liked and to ‘follow’ other people’s pins, but the site still seemed like just another time-wasting, addicting online activity.
Then I started discovering how Pinterest could same me time and money while allowing me to share similar interests and finds with my friends. If you make the most if it, this new social network/shopping/list-making/idea-snatching/do-it-yourself playground can be a great tool in the effort to live a more cost-effective and frugal lifestyle. Here are some ways to make the most out of Pinterest.
Recipes and Shopping Tips
If you’re a recipe collector, you’ll love what Pinterest has to offer. Most days, all I have to do is scroll through the pins of people I follow in order to find a delicious recipe, usually linked from a blogger’s site. You can also search for specific recipes or ingredients to see what pops up. Like an endless network, each recipe usually leads to more recipes you’ll want to pin to your own board. Creating a board to pin all your favorite recipes is a great way to create a virtual cookbook, a central location you can turn to when you’re looking for something different or planning your menu for the week. Not only can you find great recipes that other people have already pinned; you can also pin recipes from other recipe sites that offer this option. As Pinterest becomes more widespread, more and more sites are allowing direct ‘pinning’ of their pages. This only make sense since Pinterest increases their visibility and site hits.
Although you won’t necessarily find coupons on Pinterest, you will definitely find pins about where to find them. Simply typing ‘coupons’ into the search bar reveals a huge selection of links to good deals on groceries, consumables, clothes, and much more. Pinning these to your shopping board is an easier way to keep track of an endless number of coupon websites. There are also many pins that link to blogs offering money-saving tips on nearly every category of spending, which leads to the next feature.
Do-it-Yourself Projects
It doesn’t take long scrolling through Pinterest to notice there is a huge presence of do-it-yourself themes. This plays into a common desire to find a better, cheaper way to complete every-day tasks or special projects. You’ll find anything you want to know about how to re-purpose items, decorate on a dime, re-finish and paint furniture, or cheaply organize your closet. I’ve found ideas I’ve saved and plan to use when I own my own home (and have a lot more time on my hands).
Gift and Entertainment Ideas
Pinterest is also a great place to find unique, personal gift ideas for any holiday; birthday themes, games, and cake recipes; and countless ways to entertain your guests frugally but with taste. Again, Pinterest is a perfect way to put all your ideas in one location — all you have to do is create and title a new board.
What is also extremely convenient about Pinterest is the app. you can download for free on your smartphone. This way, you can take your virtual boards of pins anywhere you go! Don’t get me wrong…Pinterest can also cost you money, if you’re not careful, because in many ways it’s another form of shopping. But if you use it as a way to shop for savings and creative frugal ideas, you don’t need to spend to make the most of it.
If you’ve never tried Pinterest, I’d encourage you to check it out. Sure, it’s addicting, but it’s also a great savings tool you’ll never know how you lived without.
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