Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by OxiClean™ through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about OxiClean™ all opinions are my own.

When I think back over the last 14 years of my life (the time I’ve been fully self-reliant, financially), I can recall MANY examples of teaching myself how to cut corners and save as much money as humanly possible. In the beginning, that was a survival technique (being a grad student in one of the country’s most expensive cities was rough, ya’ll). Over time, though, being penny-wise also became a way to go from “getting by” to actually thriving. Clipping coupons, taking advantage of free entertainment, and trying to avoid restaurants were just a few of the strategies we used to help us build up a nest egg to put a down payment on a house, buy a car, and even start our family. I’m so glad I learned how to spend wisely.

Spending wisely is what I was to talk about today, because it’s a common misconception that spending wisely means always spending as little as you possibly can. Experience has taught me that there are cases where being penny-wise can cause you to be pound-foolish. Sometimes you will honestly come out money ahead by spending more on the front end. Today I want to share 4 simple ways I save quite a bit of money by spending a little more.

1. Vacation in a Condo

My family just got back from a week of vacation on Sanibel Island, Florida. We stayed 7 nights in a 2-bedroom condo and our housing cost us right around $160/night. I can tell you now that many hotel rooms on the island charge around that same amount, but I did find one reputable hotel that offered a room for $99/night. So why would I spend over $1100 on housing when I could have paid around $700?

Beyond the obvious benefit of comfort (1200 square feet of living space and separate rooms vs. roughly 300 square feet), there really is a cost benefit: the kitchen! Even if the hotel offered free breakfast, that still would leave my family to either eat pb&j sandwiches every single day for a week (no thanks) or having to go out to eat, which would cost hundreds of dollars. Because I rented a condo, I was able to shop for groceries at Publix, keeping food expenses lower, and I could get what I already knew my family would eat and enjoy, and I could prepare our meals while others played in the pool, napped, read, or did whatever they wanted to do, rather than driving over to a restaurant twice a day. The 3 adults on the trip took turns being in charge of food so that nobody felt overburdened with the task of meal prep, and none of us charged a gratuity! If we were in a hotel, we would have spent all the money we saved on housing on our food bill, easily. It’s my policy that if I’m staying somewhere for 3 nights or longer, I always upgrade to a home over a hotel room and I come out money ahead.

2. Buy a Superior Laundry Detergent

When people seek to save money, it always gives me a chuckle to see the things they tend to focus on as ways to save. Often they are very small things, like saving money on laundry detergent. Friends, I was that person several years ago who kept looking for ways to shave pennies off my expenses instead of looking for the ways to save hundreds of dollars. Are you doing the same thing? I’m certainly not making fun of you if you are, because I get it. It’s tempting to think that DIY stuff will make all the difference, and sometimes it does help the bottom line, but laundry detergent is not one of those areas, because you need to consider the whole picture here: you are dealing with the care of your clothing. The longer you can keep your clothes looking clean and bright, the longer you can wear them before needing to replace them.

Now I know better, and that’s why you’ll always find OxiClean™ HD™ Laundry Detergent in my laundry room. As my kids are growing, they are definitely putting more wear and tear on their clothes. OxiClean™ can’t help me with the holes in the knees of their pants that seem to pop up left and right, but stains? Not a problem! The stain fighter technology in OxiClean™ is worth every penny because I’m not losing outfits to a battle with marinara sauce, mud or markers. I also love OxiClean because it keeps the colors vibrant. My girls absolutely love to wear bright, bold colors and OxiClean™ helps the clothes maintain those awesome original hues.

OxiClean™ has also helped me stop being afraid to buy white clothing. For a long while there, I just stopped buying whites altogether, as I found that those clothes usually had set-in stains after one or two wears, and if they were lucky enough to escape stains, then they just became dingy. I started using OxiClean™ not long after my first was born (after a few rounds of destroyed white onesies, I got wise!) and I haven’t worried about my whites since. Pro tip: if you discover a stain on something in the hamper, add OxiClean™ directly to the spot for a little extra boost of stain-fighting power.

3. Subscribe to Digital Entertainment

Does a Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or Sling TV subscription seem like an extra that just doesn’t make sense if you are trying to save? If you have no interest in television or movies, then I agree! But if you like to have movie nights at home (which is much cheaper than the borderline obscene cost of going to the movies), or if you like to unwind after the work day with a few episodes of a show you like, then the expense is SO totally worth it. The trick here is to cut your cable cord. I did it back in 2008 when my introductory cable subscription rate of $19.99/month ended and the price soared up to $80/month. I missed my beloved shows for about 4 days, and then I was over it. This was eight years ago, and now there are many MANY more options on digital formats. Spend the $20-$30/month on whatever combination of options make the most sense for you (for us it’s Netflix and Amazon Prime) and see how enjoyable they can be. Then let the cable go. You won’t feel denied of your favorites and you’ll actually save quite a lot of money, and even some time because commercials are either nonexistent or brief online.

4. Take Regular Trips to the Coffee Shop

I know, I know. I’m actually suggesting going out for coffee as a way to save? Doesn’t every money saving tip guide on the planet love to showcase how you can save thousands each year by ditching that beloved green mermaid? But hear me out. I’m not suggesting that you hit the drive thru on your way to work every morning or that you start buying Frappuccinos on the regular. But there is a place for a coffee shop visit, and here’s how it works for me. I personally head to Starbucks anywhere from 1-4 times during the work week. I go very early in the morning (6-8am) and I score 2 hours of uninterrupted work time during a time of day when my brain is working well (total morning person, right here). When I’m at home during this time, I’m helping make lunches, fielding 12,000 questions about life, searching for socks and shoes, brushing hair and doing other such things to help my kiddos get ready for school. My husband actually doesn’t mind flying solo during this lively period of time in the house, and I know from countless attempts that I can’t get a darn thing done, so it makes sense for me to fly the coop. I spend just under $2.50 for my tall iced coffee, and because I’m enrolled in the rewards program, I get a free refill. I am able to earn far more than that $2.50 by getting work done, and I’m much less stressed for the rest of the day, because my hardest work is already behind me by the time the rest of the family launches for the day. I suppose in this sense I don’t technically save money, but I free up time to make money, which is quite important if you want to have money to save in the first place!

I hope my tips provided some food for thought as you think about some ways that you might be being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Take a moment to think about a few simple changes you can make that might cost more today but help you save more over time. There’s no need to procrastinate on financial wellness!

Have any other tips about things that seem to cost more at first glance but that actually are great deals? I’d love to hear them!