Cutting Corners?

[Pomlover2586]

DF and I are currently living with my mom until after the wedding [planning to move out next Sept or Oct] Continuing to live with my mom is not an option as we moved in and agreed to only live here for a while- plus I don't think DF and I could handle living with my mom much longer then this LOL]

We're both working but money is tight and will continue to be tight once we move out-even more so then for obvious reasons.

So my question for you savy budget ladies is what types of things do you do to cut corners in your daily life? Any special tricks or suggestions for keeping costs down and saving as much as possible? Coupon clipping? Keeping the house freezing to cut down the energy bill? Come on girls lets get creative here!

 

[let'sgo]

On weekends cook meals and freeze them or get some good crock pot recipes so that you're not eating out--that can really blow a budget. There are some great cookbooks out there for cooking ahead and freezing until needed.

Also, when you leave for work, turn the heat way down, and put it back up when you get home. I used to wear my winter coat until my apartment warmed up enough after getting home from work.

Good luck!

 

[WDWBarb]

If I was in your situation I think I'd be spending a lot of my money on dining out and entertainment (movies, etc.) just to get some time out of the house and "alone!" While I think it's necessary (for your relationship AND for your mental health!) you need to budget for what you're going to spend. Plan in advance and do NOT exceed what you expect to spend each month.

That and coupons - that's my advice

 

[lttlmc3]

Hmmm..one of my favorite things to do is to go on the freebies thread on this board and sign up for a lot of the freebies. You wouldn't believe how things add up. My husband and I haven't had to buy face wash or toothpaste for a while because we've gotten so many samples in the mail. I'll post more tips when I can think of them!

 

[DawnM]

Our upstairs A/C and heat went out about a year ago. We still haven't fixed it.

This winter we use space heaters only the heat the 2 bedrooms we actually sleep in and it has saved us a bundle! So, that may be an option.

If you feel you have to get cable, get ONLY the basic. You can live without it, believe me, I know!

Also, cell phones are NOT a necessity, as much as people will argue about it, the truth is, I didn't even have a cell 10 years ago. Pay as you go plans are sufficient for emergencies and short calls. Save long calls for home and get something inexpensive like Vonage if you have cable modem. I think the cost of cable modem and Vonage is still cheaper than having only a phone line and no cable for us.

Dawn

 

[CraftyCrissy]

* Really evaluate your monthly spending and all the constants. Check out your cell phone plans, internet rates, cable/satellite rates, car insurance, etc.

* Call your utilities (gas/oil and electric) and discuss going onto a pay-per-month plan, meaning that you pay the same amount every month based on last year's usage.

* Belong to a health club - evaluate how you can get the best rate. Maybe its a 6-month rate vs. 12 or just a fitness center vs. an entire YMCA-full of stuff.

* Your health insurance - evaluate the use of flexible spending accounts to save a little money pre-tax.

* Start a Christmas Club Fund - or call it whatever you want, just open up a brand new account at the bank for it. Put a small amount of money into the account every week, once or twice a month. Even $10 a week will build-up to $40 a month and $520 a year!

* Cut back on all your fun-stuff: if you're a crafter, stay out of the craft stores even during great sales. Don't buy anything unless you need it for a project that you're doing NOW, not something you want to do in the future. Love Target? Do not even go into it unless you have a distinct list of what you need to get and are budgeted for.

* Coupons for everything - even eating out. It sounds silly but if we have a coupon for Chevy's, we'll go there because the deal is buy one entree, get the 2nd for $3.99!

* Meal planning based on sales saves a ton of money but takes time. Once you get used to it, its not such a chore.

* Print pictures? Definitely enroll in Snapfish or one of those on-line places that give you the lowest price for basically buying in bulk (pay $100 now for printing 1000 pics over the year or whatever the deal is!)

* Watch your bulk-buying. Costco, BJ's, Sam's Club all offer great deals if you actually use the ton of stuff you buy! Will you use 40 rolls of toilet paper? Do you have the storage space for it. If yes to both - go for it. If no then it will be more cost effective for you to buy smaller amounts at the grocery store.

* Turn off your lights, keep your heat lower, wear a sweater, buy a good pair of slippers and a good blanket for your bed, take good care of your car inside and out, carpool as much as possible to save gas (even if it is a little, it all counts.)

You don't have to live on a 'deprivation budget' to save substantial money. It honestly is a lifestyle you need to subscribe to. You can still splurge every now and again on something you really want, an inexpensive long weekend vacation, something for the wedding, a present for someone special, etc. Its all a matter of creating a realistic budget and sticking to it.

I wish you the best of luck. Now, time to take some of my own advice more to heart!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

My advise is to start keeping a spending diary now, before you move out of your mother's house. This will give you an idea of where your pocket money is going. I know that when I was younger, it was nothing for me to take $50 out at an ATM and have no idea of where it disappeared to over the weekend.

You might also want to analyze some of your current recurring bills like cellphones and insurance. There may be some areas where you can cut back on costs by raising deductibles or dropping extra services.

As far as groceries are concerned, I plan my menus based on the sale items for the week. Having a week's worth of menus pre-planned means that I'm less inclined to order out because I don't know what to make or don't have the necessary ingredients on hand to prepare a meal. If you stock up on items when they are on sale, you will save in the long run by never paying full price for any pantry items.

 

[englishteacha]

A big one for me...try not to go to the store for just one thing. You almost always will buy more than you planned! Try to make due without it. Today, for example, I went to Save-a-lot to buy cheese to make homemade pizza tomorrow (we were going to go to my Mom's but it's supposed to snow). While there, Dh noticed that they still had hams at a good price. So we bought a ham, too. Will we eat it? Yup. But did we need it? Nope. It's not a big budget buster for us now, but the first year we were married? That ham better have fed us for a few weeks!

Figure out a few easy-to-make meals that you enjoy eating. When you get home after a long day and really don't want to cook, fast food is very tempting. DH and I gained a lot of weight and wasted a lot of money on fast food! If you have a few easy meals in your repetoire, it will make life so much easier. Even if it is a frozen pizza or spaghetti!

 

[Mickeyorbust]

First of all Congrat's on the upcoming wedding.

As for the cutting corners, the little things make a big difference. Starbuck's for example...If you're like me and go for "the big one," that's at least $4.00 per cup before tip and ofcourse it is needed every morning to stay awake at work. So that's $4.00 per day or $28.00 per week or $121.00 per month or $1,456.00 per year. And all that to get to my point...The biggest cost cutting we did was on the little things. Sit down and figure out how much is spent on the daily cup of joe or orange juice or ________.

 

[drakethib]

Good tips all.