Ask:
Ok, I've been thinking a lot lately on how I can save even more $$$ for our budget. Like little things that when they all add up mean a decent chunk of change. I keep thinking of ways I could save more but I feel so stuck so I thought maybe if we all pooled our ideas we could really help each other out.
Here are ways that I try to save on a regular basis...
1. Run the thermostat higher.
2. Rarely use the oven - try to do it on cooler days.
3. Run ceiling fan.
4. Cook more than one meal on days that I do use the oven and freeze it.
5. When putting away leftovers I will get out cool whip containers and make up meal for dh to take to work the next day.
6. Always eat the leftovers and if I don't want to put it in the freezer to pull out for another eazy meal when I don't feel like cooking.
7. Canceled the DISH.
8. Use less amount of detergent than directions say to make it last longer.
9. Combine trips so that I am not wasting gas.
10. Try to run dishwasher on less detergent and only when completely full as well.
11. I bought a home hair cutting kit. My dh and I will jointly cut ds's hair and I will trim up dh's hair so that he can go longer between haircuts.
12. I keep my hair long and have been known to get a hair cut every 6 months(this was even when I was working and without kids). Lately it has been about every 3-4 months.
13. I buy all of my kids clothes at garage sales or hand-me-downs & at prices that I know Ican get my $$ back when I sell them at my garage sale.
14 We rent dvds from the library for 25 cents each - they have pretty recent releases too
ok, gotta take care of the kiddies, but I will be thinking of more....
What do you do?
Answer:
I am very frugal!
My biggest tips are to not leave the house
Don't shop every week for food except for fresh things (milk, bread, eggs)
grow a garden, it saves tons in the summer and freeze or can the extra for winter.
Use every last bit of what I have
I've stopped looking at online sales too There will always be something on there that I didn't know I needed or wanted until I have seen it. It's best for me just not to look at all.
Answer:
Dont go out!
No extra trips to the mall for no reason, no trips to target/walmart without reason, brown bag luches, buy less grocery, if ou have a well stocked pantry start using it, when you run out of something then buy it. I tend to spend more moenyw hen I have coupons, becasue the items are priced higher than geneeric, but i buy them becasue i have a coupon, I know I am crazy, I am working on that!.
Really ask yourself if you need something. Do the kids really need 12 sweaters, can they go with 6, do they really need 4 pairs of shoes, how about 1 or 2. If you buy less quantity, then you can buy at regular price and not wait till it is on sale.
Answer:
Ok got some more...
we do up big batches of pancakes and then freeze what we don't eat to have easy cheap breakfasts for the rest of the week.
I have been baking muffins and breads for snacks and easy breakfasts.
There are weeks that I rarely leave the house to save on gas and avoid spending money.
Answer:
I'm trying to convince DH that homemade cookies are cheaper then store bought ones. Dah . Water is better for you then pop (he drinks 4 cans a night at work).
I only wash full loads of clothes & full loads of dishes. Clothes are usually washed on cold.
I'm downsizing and selling off things that we don't need or want.
Making my children decide if there wants are really needs, if not a need do we really want it.
Going straight to work even if I'm early instead of stopping at Target.
Looking for new items at rummage sales that are suitable for Xmas gifts.
Cooking more from scratch. I plan on canning this fall (at least my dad's overstock of tomatoes)
Leaving curtains and blinds closed throught the day to keep the house cooler.
Watering the lawn once early in the morning instead of 4x a day.
Borrowing books from the library instead of buying them.
Trying convince DH that we don't need the Dish.
Answer:
Make sure you change the filter in your A\C/heater & keep your condensers cleaned. Clean the lint trap in your dryer. Wash clothes in cold/cold.
Answer:
Wow - these are great!
I especially agree with the "just don't go into the stores" tip. Even with a list, you will just spend more money than you planned.
Also, meal planning is a must. This will eliminate the "it's 5:00 what are we going to do for dinner, oh, let's just order a pizza" problem.
I read somewhere that if you take care of the pennies the dollars will take care of themselves.
Answer:
1. use 10% less than recommended on package for shampoo, laundry detergent, etc
2. cut dryer sheets in half
3. before shopping i make a list the night before, the next morning i go through the list again and see if there are any items on the list i can live without then i cross them off. the trick is to only buy items left on the list when you go shopping.
4. use conditioner as shaving cream
5. make as much as I can from scratch
6. I use the library at least once a week for books, magazines, movies, cd's
7. turn the thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter when we are not home
8. shop at goodwill and consignment stores, clearance racks. I rarely buy clothes at full price.
9. walmart price matches
10. coupons
11. angelfoodministries
12. turn off lights and tv when leave the room.
13. hang up clothes to dry as much as possible
Answer:
Great ideas!! Here's a few of mine -
attend free community events for fun activities
buy fruit in season
wait to buy large items to find best price
combine coupons with sales
garden for fresh produce
bring lunch to work
fans in every room
Answer:
We don't eat out.
We don't go on vacation.
Our cars are 7 and 8 years old.
Most of the things we buy are from garage sales, thrift stores, hand-me-downs, etc.
We aren't interested in what other people have.
We use the library a lot.
I buy tons of back-to-school loss leaders for birthday party treat bags. (Those treat bags will kill ya).
When we get money for birthday or Christmas we usually save it instead of spending it.
We don't heat or cool unused rooms, or even the laundry room or bathroom. (OK, that's really my husband's thing. He follows me around all day long closing the doors to those rooms. It makes me nuts.)
We don't have pets.
We love to save money. (OK, that's also mostly my husband's thing because I would probably buy more but I don't because of him.)
Just about everything we don't buy used is purchased on sale, with coupons, on Ebay, etc.
Love Aldi and Wal-Mart.
If we lost everything today I know we would still be OK because of the frugal skills we have acquired.