Planning ahead helps mother of 4 save money
Patti Pedretti uses planning and patience to save money.
That's not a new thing for the 45-year-old retired military officer and stay-at-home mother of four kids ages five to 16.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
"It's second nature for me to try to find ways to save money," said Pedretti, whose husband, Randy, is director of sales operations at a lighting company in Des Plaines.
Each December, Pedretti plans ahead to reduce costs when they dine out in the coming new year, and dining out is reserved as a special treat. It's not a habit.
"In December, it seems like a lot of restaurants offer gift cards and then they give you either a 20 percent discount or an extra 20 percent more," she said. "You just buy a few gift cards, and then throughout the year when you want to go out to eat, you match them up with a coupon. It's amazing how much money you can save."
She's a believer in using free customer loyalty and reward programs, and that's helped her with her gasoline bills.
"I have a credit card; I get a 5 percent rebate," she said.
Pedretti said when she shops online, she's strategic. She avoids store Web sites and instead uses Upromise.com or MyPoints.com, which provide rewards. When she makes purchases through Upromise, she's rewarded with a contribution to her children's college fund. When she views e-mails from MyPoints or makes purchases through that site, she gets points that she redeems for gift cards, she said.
Another site she likes is Spoofee.com.
"That's a good way to get freebies," she said. "There's a link you can click on, (so) you can try before you buy, and if you like the product, when it's on sale. you go buy it."
Pedretti said while her family enjoys movies, they don't rush out to view them when they first hit the theaters.
"At Jewel, you rent movies for a buck. So what if you don't see it right away?" she said.
She's also "a huge fan of my local library," for movies and books.
Pedretti said her husband has two favorite authors.
"I'm like, 'You tell me when there's a new book. I will go to the library, put it on hold,' and he's fine with that," she said. "He doesn't buy their books anymore."
Pedretti enjoys shopping for bargains at garage sales and thrift stores, and she brings the children.
"I just think it's important to teach kids that you don't always have to have brand-new," she said.
Yet she often finds brand-new items, including toys, at the sales. "Just the other day I got this brand new, still in the package Pampered Chef stoneware. . . . I think they're $30. I got it for $8."
Pedretti said she also uses coupons, refuses to buy bottled water and recycles to save money and help the environment. She also avoids using the air conditioner except on the hottest days, and when she does laundry, she takes the clothes out of the dryer before they're completely dry and hangs them outside.
When her daughter and she want to treat themselves to spa services, including pedicures, facials and manicures, they opt for a nearby beauty school, where the cost is substantially less, she said.
"It's just everyday things," she said. "If you can take your bike, take your bike. If you can walk, walk."
What are you doing to make ends meet? Write to psmith@suntimes.com