Any tips out there

[reginaastralis]

We weren't doing a good job tracking cash, so now we religiously check out debit card statement. At least I know where the money is going now.

Another thing, just because it's cheap, it doesn't mean it's good. We're back to school shopping, and the last two years, the cheap book bag has come apart in the wash. (And honestly, it wasn't that cheap, more like $25) So this year, I waited for a good deal from Land's End, and got her lunch box and backpack for $56, which is more than I normally would have spent ... but it comes with a lifetime warranty. So, HOPEFULLY we will make it through the year with a backpack. If not, I know they will replace it.

I think it's important to play around to see what will work with your family. I love my boyfriend, and it would be nice if I could send him to the store after work if I needed something ... but I know he will come up with $40 worth of junk. He's the spender, and I feel like I have to be the mother, which isn't working. He now gets an amount of fun money, and I can honestly say I don't care where it goes. On slow months, his fun money isn't the same amount as during the busy season ... but so far, it's working.

 

[bearloch]

venison, or getting half a cow! also i used to split lg packages of items with my friend we would go to sams together and bring freezer bags and zip locksetc, go to one house right away and repackage and split stuff that we used but did not need lg amounts and then we split theprice of the items right there! it worked great!!!! Wish I could still do that but now were in tiny apt and have NO storage at all UGH,, ( actually reworking closets to store more food as I speak).

also be ware of dollar stores its not always a good bet! Food NEVER BUY there!

health and beauty items can usually be found cheaper at walmart!! or cvs with coupons and sales!

also we drink lots of pop ( soda) but now we have been limiting it too 2 cans per day per person then kool-aide/water remainder of time and Im starting to see a savings on my bills already ( been 3 wks!!)

 

[Pigeon]

Go to your public library and check out their copy of the Tighwad Gazette. It's like boot camp for the frugal.

Some of her advice is a little out of date, and some of it is too extreme for me. But her mind set is really useful, and it's filled with good ideas.

Don't pay people to do things you can do yourself, like yardwork, housecleaning, painting, etc. Lowes has free classes on how to do a lot of basic home repair projects.

Better than coupons or shopping sales, do you really need to shop at all? I find myself going to Target to pick up something that's on sale, but seldom do I just walk out with what I came in for. Staying out altogether saves me money.

Don't spend money on entertainment. Explore what your area has to offer that's free. The public library is your friend. Your area may have free museums, parks, concerts, etc. if you hunt them out.

Look hard at some of the things we've come to think as necessary, like cell phone plans and cable TV. We don't have either of these things.

 

[Cira]

SO True! I cannot tell you, as organized as I am, how many times I have found 2-3 bottles of the same item I bought on sale, tucked neatly in a closet. I just plain forgot I had them and kept going out each time I needed it and bought another one. LOOK everywhere or have an INDEX of what you have in the closets...I'm doing that one tonight! ;-0

"Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without"


Shop in your own house before you shop in a store, clean and reorganize and see what you really have and what you really need.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

Meal plan and eat at home... and match your meal plan around grocery sales/coupon matchups. My husband and I will probably spend $20-$30 eating out for dinner. We spent $65 at Publix this week and we are (so far) eating ALL our meals at home or brought from home. Friday nights we usually go out. We are eating healthier too.

We also try to combine our car trips for errands to save on gas.

I tear dryer sheets in half and use half a sheet per load in the dryer. It works just as well.

We have a programmable AC unit (live in FL so it runs year round!) - we turn it up to 80 when we are not at home or during the day.

 

[erincon23]

Call your service providers -- phone, cable, internet --and ask for a reduction! Ask if they have a plan that's lower cost. Ask if they'll give you a reduction for being a good customer. You don't get if you don't ask.

Don't buy individual serving things -- chips, cookies -- for lunches. Buy big bags and split.

If you like to go out to dinner,bowling, movies, etc., and aren't willing to give those things up, buy an Entertainment book. Lots of 2-for-1 coupons. Or use Restaurant.com (make sure you get the codes that give you coupons you'd for which you'd pay $10 for $3 -- you can find them on couponcodes.com).

Subscribe to Groupon -- I got the Chicago Tribune, W-Th-Fri and Sun, for a whole year, for $26. That's less than I'd pay for just Sunday if I bought it from the Tribune. But don't buy Groupons for things that you wouldn't otherwise use!

Barter. Is there anything that you or your husband can do that you can trade for something? DH is an accountant -- we've traded tax and accounting services for window cleaning and computer work. I do computer graphics,and have traded it for tickets to high school shows. You can trade for music lessons, car repairs,etc.

Use Freecycle. You can often get things for free that you could use.

If you need medical services -- surgery, MRI, etc. -- even if you have insurance -- call around to different providers and ask how much they charge. You're still going to have to pay your deductible, but your share of a $600 MRI is more than your share of a $200 MRI. You really can do this! Make sure you know all the things your health insurance can get for you -- we recently had a policy that offered $40 a month toward a health club membership. And it had terrific vision benefits, so before it ended, we all got glasses and DS16 got a year's worth of contacts -- our copay on 6 boxes was $25, and with the discount our insurance gave us on additional boxes, plus $75 in rebates from the manufacturer (Acuvue Oasys), we're ending up paying -- total -- $30 for a year's worth of lenses.

Don't buy books! Use the library. In Illinois, at least, you can borrow from any town's library if you have a card in your town (there are restrictions at some like new books and DVD only to that town's cardholders), so you should be able to find anything you want at some library, even if you have to wait a while.

We've been through several bouts of unemployment, and while I won't say our financial situation is great at the moment, I do think I spend significantly less than I did 5 years ago.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

I am looking for ways to save money. There is no reason good or bad just want to spend less

I know packing lunches is one

coupons is another

using store brand

shopping at the dollar store

are there any others

Good start on saving.

I always planned meals around what was on sale that week. I'm not crazy about food shopping so even when it was just the two of us I used to load up on sale items and always had a freezer.

Make/Drink your coffee at home in the morning and bring it with you. You would be surprised how much you can save every year. Besides, my coffee is better.

Make enough at dinner so you have enough left over for lunch. Not only will you save, but have a healthy meal that you prepared.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Use the library. You can borrow movies as well as books and magazines, and there are programs and groups for all ages.

Take time on the weekend, if you work during the week, to prepare some food for the coming week. If you have a slow-cooker or a bread machine, put them to work! In one afternoon you can have several meals started and some healthy snacks prepared inexpensively.

Check out what your community offers. Mine has all kinds of programs - I just learned about a class to learn how to make sourdough bread! There are also free swimming lessons for kids at certain times of the year. You can learn skills that will save you money or just get some free entertainment!

TP

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Yes have to break the dollar store habit I work and live near one

 

[Handbag Lady]

We gave up our home phone. We put a sticker on it and we were to remove the sticker if ever we used it. It stayed for over six months. Why were we paying for something we never used?

We have cell phones that we are both required to have for work, so we use those and we get reimbursed for work call usage on our personal phones. It comes to about half what we normally pay each month.

 

[Jenny3]

Do you have the food chain Aldi's near you? That store is fantastic; I often go when we are tight on funds, fill up a cartload (for a family of 5) and spend around $100.

All their food is fresh and it is actually name-brand - just in different packaging

At your regular food store, match up coupons with the sale ads and stock up on the great deals. I started my stockpile a year ago and I can't tell you how nice it is to go down the basement and grab a box of cereal, or toothpaste, or laundry detergent when I'm in need instead of running to the store.

Sell anything unnecessary on craigslist or one of the Yard Sale groups on Facebook. I have bought and sold and gotten some great deals on things I needed, as well as made some extra cash.

Hit up your local consignment store for clothing. My teenager absolutely loves Plato's Closet - if you have teens, see if you have one near you. All name brand, good clothing and super cheap

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Aldi's does it have fruit and veggies

 

[erincon23]

Yes, Aldi's does have fruit and veggies, but they're fairly limited. You won't find a big selection.

 

[Jenny3]

Yes, fruits, veggie, cheese, meats, frozen section, etc. It's a full food store, but they only sell their brand - for the most part. They will get in some deals on name-brand food, like Pringles or Ocean Spray. But I saw on the Food Network's "Unwrapped" a report that their food is actually name brand, but disguised under a label/brand you never heard of.

Also, bring your own bags as you have to bag yourself. Also a quarter to "rent" your cart.

 

[Julie*]

My husband was laid off last December and is now starting his own property management business so we have been on a strict budget over the last 7 months.
One of the first things that I did was really organize our food cupboards and our bathroom cupboards and I was amazed at the amount of stuff we had already available. Now I keep everything in order so that I really know when we need something and don't just buy it because it's on my list.
The other thing I did was switch to using vinegar and baking soda for most of my cleaning- I also use vinegar instead of softener in the washer. It's alot cheaper and so much "greener" which is great.
Finally, I do alot of couponing now- not extreme at all- because I don't like tons of boxed foods but there are some good coupons out there if you really look. For example, I don't really pay for toiletries at all especially things like toothpaste and shampoo. Plus, we're not picky about brands.
I also stopped buying things like fajita mix and chili mix and I make them all with spices that I have on hand. So much cheaper and better for you.

These are just ways that helped me feel more in control of our situation. I also stopped our weekly garbage pick up and we go to the dump now. We lowered our cable bill and stopped eating out as much. I also bring my lunch to work every single day now and I used to buy out alot.

Good luck- it's been hard but now I'm used to it. Plus, it's really helped us stay afloat since our income was halved.

 

[crisi]

Pay yourself first. If you don't have the cash because you stash it away where it's harder to get to, it isn't as easy to spend. If you look at your ATM receipt and see you have $1000, you think spending $50 isn't a big deal. Keep your accessible balances small, large enough to cover bills.

 

[MEM]

Go to your public library and check out their copy of the Tighwad Gazette. It's like boot camp for the frugal.

Some of her advice is a little out of date, and some of it is too extreme for me. But her mind set is really useful, and it's filled with good ideas.
Don't pay people to do things you can do yourself, like yardwork, housecleaning, painting, etc. Lowes has free classes on how to do a lot of basic home repair projects.

Better than coupons or shopping sales, do you really need to shop at all? I find myself going to Target to pick up something that's on sale, but seldom do I just walk out with what I came in for. Staying out altogether saves me money.

Don't spend money on entertainment. Explore what your area has to offer that's free. The public library is your friend. Your area may have free museums, parks, concerts, etc. if you hunt them out.

Look hard at some of the things we've come to think as necessary, like cell phone plans and cable TV. We don't have either of these things.

Excellent point! I re-read my tattered copy of the TG just to
re-focus my thinking

 

[cluvsdisney]

Maybe check out CSAs for fresh fruit and veggies.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

How do I become a better wife I know I can do better just clueless on how do so.