Sacrifices

[Malibustyle23]

While on a budget we all make sacrifices to save that extra dollar. Some are long term, we have given up cable and only use Netflix, Hulu and antenna. Some are short term, buying generic over name brand.

I'm trying to make a point to make a sacrifice atleast once a week if not more. Will you join me in my quest and check back in forcing accountability?

Today I really wanted to go out to lunch with DH and DD but just had lunch at home instead with groceries we already had.

What did you sacrifice today or this week?

 

[wishesuponastar]

I'm in.

We will try not to eat out as much. Usually happens on the weekends.
Would be nice to put that money in a vacation jar instead.

good luck!

 

[rewardsinlife]

Me too!

Yesterday I started my own physical therapy and exercise program at home to get into better shape and not have to pay for a membership at a gym.

Today I cashed in all my extra change for a gift card for groceries.

I would like to make a big budget friendly meal tomorrow with the meat already in the freezer and save leftovers for meals for the rest of the week!

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

I am not purchasing any lunches out during the work week this year.
So far so good
I pack a lunch every morning, and am finding it is a good excuse to eat healthier.
I can only eat what I bring so I make sure I bring veggies and fruits as sides instead of chippy things.

I need to do better about planning healthier dinners and following though.
I seem to be totally spent by the time I get home and we usually just make sandwiches or pull something out of the freezer that I made on the weekend.

We have never had cable/satellite and I never felt it was a "sacrifice" until recently.
There is just so much trash on tv these days...
If not for the free retro tv station we would have nothing to watch.

We have plain cell phones. (no camera and I can say I am definitely smarter than my phone )
The last time I recharged my phone was around Thanksgiving.
I only turn it on when I need to call someone, then turn it off again, which saves energy.
Saving energy is a fringe benefit, not the purpose- I just do not care to be constantly in contact with everyone I know.
Nothing I have to say is so interesting that I cannot wait until I am off work and at home to say it.
I am not tempted to phone or text while driving because my phone is not even turned on.

We try to keep our electric bill low but simply turning out lights when we leave a room, etc.
Never thought that amounted to much but when our bill is "high" we pay less than $200 a month (and that with some electric heating and two outdoor heat lamps in the barn turned on at night for outdoor animals).

We both work full time so when we leave the house we turn down the heat to 60 F. That saves heating oil which is expensive right now.
Not really a sacrifice, though, since we are not at home to notice the change in temperature.

Our non-guilty pleasure we will not sacrifice: lunch out with our grown son after church each week.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

I'm in! For us, we've noticed that food, in any form, seems to be our biggest budget buster. In the past, we've budgeted $150 per week for groceries, but then up ordering in, grabbing fast food, going to restaurants and purchasing lunches at work adds up SOOO fast, and could easily triple what we planned to spend. So here's my new cost-savings measures, all related to saving on the food budget. And... most of these choices mean we're eating healthier too!

1. Clip Coupons EVERY SUNDAY, and print some offline too.

2. Make a grocery List and coordinate it with the store sales flyers (and coupons) and make a list that includes enough meal fixings to get us through to the following Sunday. And stock up where there are sales (think big-picture, not week by week)

3. Make sure I buy enough grab-and-go lunch fixings for DH and myself so we don't need to spend $10 for a deli sandwich.

4. When I make easy meals like baked pasta dishes, make enough to freeze a 2nd meal. This saves time more than anything, but also helps the budget when I can buy & cook in bulk (not waste sauce, etc.)

5. Economize by making some things with stuff we have... Like, make garlic bread out of leftover hamburger buns (leftover from a previous meal that week) instead of buying them in the frozen section.

Here come the real "sacrifices":

6. Don't order in, except for rare treat, when I plan to in advance (thus, buying 1 less meal from the grocery store)

7. Don't go out to restaurants, again, unless we pan to in advance.

 

[runwad]

I'm with you Taylor'sMom, we're a family of 5 and I usually average $700/mo in groceries and toiletries. I just started this week and informed my family new grocery budget of $150/wk. So far this week i've spent $94, I also include any take out orders in that total. Although we rarely eat out or get take out (maybe once a month?) but still. So tonight after work the kids wanted me to get nacho chips to eat with their tacos we had for dinner. DH told me to get 4 bags. I decided since they were 2 for $4, they'd make due with 2 bags. I mean really $8 for chips, the billy goats can just eat more salad. I know I can do it and this thread will keep me disciplined to stick to it!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yesterday, I had leftovers of questionable duration for lunch instead of going out. Questionable as in, "hey, when did we eat this the first time?"

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We got an entertainment book as a Christmas gift so if we want to go out to eat it has to be a place we can use the entertainment card/coupon. Since its just the two of us is cuts our dinning out in half

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I am not purchasing any lunches out during the work week this year.
So far so good
I pack a lunch every morning, and am finding it is a good excuse to eat healthier.
I can only eat what I bring so I make sure I bring veggies and fruits as sides instead of chippy things.

I need to do better about planning healthier dinners and following though.
I seem to be totally spent by the time I get home and we usually just make sandwiches or pull something out of the freezer that I made on the weekend.

We have never had cable/satellite and I never felt it was a "sacrifice" until recently.
There is just so much trash on tv these days...
If not for the free retro tv station we would have nothing to watch.

We have plain cell phones. (no camera and I can say I am definitely smarter than my phone )
The last time I recharged my phone was around Thanksgiving.
I only turn it on when I need to call someone, then turn it off again, which saves energy.
Saving energy is a fringe benefit, not the purpose- I just do not care to be constantly in contact with everyone I know.
Nothing I have to say is so interesting that I cannot wait until I am off work and at home to say it.
I am not tempted to phone or text while driving because my phone is not even turned on.

We try to keep our electric bill low but simply turning out lights when we leave a room, etc.
Never thought that amounted to much but when our bill is "high" we pay less than $200 a month (and that with some electric heating and two outdoor heat lamps in the barn turned on at night for outdoor animals).

We both work full time so when we leave the house we turn down the heat to 60 F. That saves heating oil which is expensive right now.
Not really a sacrifice, though, since we are not at home to notice the change in temperature.

Our non-guilty pleasure we will not sacrifice: lunch out with our grown son after church each week.

Crockpot has become my friend. I put together the things I need the night before and in the morning I toss it all into the crockpot and dinner is done when I get home. I use the crockpot liners and clean up is a breeze

 

[wiigirl]

Yesterday, I had leftovers of questionable duration for lunch instead of going out. Questionable as in, "hey, when did we eat this the first time?"

Brave!

 

[DawnM]

Well, we all have contracted the stomach flu this week, so we are saving $$ on food.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm pretty frugal by nature. We don't have cable, we have pretty inexpensive no-contract cell phones, we don't eat out much and we DIY most household repairs and renovations. I don't really see this as a sacrifice or holding myself accountable though. I just see it as prioritizing. I'd rather have the money in a college fund for the kids or retirement account than have an iPhone. I'm actually happier that way.

I guess my latest way to try to save is to shop at Aldi's more. It's a bit further away, but I save probably $50 over the regular grocery store every trip. I've been trying to go at least every other week.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Well, we all have contracted the stomach flu this week, so we are saving $$ on food.

Aww, feel better soon

 

[taaren]

I'm pretty frugal by nature. We don't have cable, we have pretty inexpensive no-contract cell phones, we don't eat out much and we DIY most household repairs and renovations. I don't really see this as a sacrifice or holding myself accountable though. I just see it as prioritizing.

This was my thought, too. While for some people those may be sacrifices, that's just the way we live. I haven't had cable since I moved out of my folks' house 17 years ago, and don't bother subscribing to Netflix or Hulu even. We haven't had a land line in over 10 years and share a cell phone plan amongst 5 adults so its reasonable for everybody.
The only time we did lunches out is when DH & I get a plate lunch together, which in Hawaii was cheaper than buying groceries. Now in the land of cheap plentiful groceries packing one is cheaper so we do it.
We just moved out of a 600 square foot house, with furniture that the best thing you could say about was that it almost functioned (think falling-apart-hand-me-down-particle-board). I guess that was our sacrifice, three people living in a tiny box for nearly 6 years. (Though even that sacrifice was equal parts saving money and giving my son access to his cousins and grandparents.) Now that we're in our "real" house, I plan on living in a very lean manner but I don't know that I'd call it sacrificing, so much as just living simply.

 

[happygirl]

We are adjusting our clothing instead of adjusting the thermostat

WE cut back our sat package

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I saved some good $$$ this week buying used baby gear.

Bought an ottoman and glider set for $65 on Craigslist instead of buying a new set for $200-400.

Bought a baby swing for $50 on CL instead of buying it new on Amazon for $160.

Bought a nursing stool on CL for $10 instead of $25 online...plus if it makes nursing more comfortable, that saves $$$ on not having to switch to formula when baby arrives.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I have to stop buying coffee out every morning. Its not fancy coffee or anything like that, but the cost adds up. I usually make it at home but for the last few weeks I have been stopping for one on my way to work. This has to stop!

Back to making coffee at home!

 

[DawnM]

Thanks. We are on the mend. We saved quite a bit of $$ not going anywhere or eating for 2 days!

Aww, feel better soon

 

[*JoGo*]

We are trying to be very aware of what we buy and spend. Like others, we realized we were spending a lot of money on food - junk, eating out, etc. Now we make a weekly dinner menu and buy groceries accordingly. I also watch ads, especially for sales on meat. And instead of just going to walmart, I've been going to Aldi's, sale items at a local chain, THEN get what I can't at those two at Walmart.

We are also living on one paycheck a month. We deposit the other paycheck into a diffent account. This may sound drastic to some, but only a few years ago we were living on roughly the same income that this creates. When dh finally started making "good" money, we had sacrificed and done without a lot for several years so we really enjoyed buying things simply because we couldn't before. And I'm talking silly things, like stopping at McDonald's for sweet teas or ice cream. But after awhile, you start doing it more often and it adds up.

I've always been a spendthrift, dh is the one that needs reigned in. But I do have a weakness when it comes to my friends/family- I love buying them gifts!!

 

[annsteere]

Supper tonight will be your choice of two mediocre leftovers.

Mostly we eat at home and I eat "Planned-overs" with a smile. Tonight it will be what we describe as "Perfectly edible, but not edibly perfect." Oh well, fresh food tomorrow