Looking for new ideas to save

[Angeejoe]

I posted this in the No Buy April thread also, but really open to any open dialogue on how people are doing with saving money. What works or doesn't work, satisfactions or frustrations, etc.

At the end of march DH & I sat down to figure out ways to save as we've been considering buying into a resale DVC & want more in savings in general. We realized that too much of our budget went for dining out & last minute grocery shopping with poor planning prior to the shopping (ie going with out coupons & a list). My husband had $100/wk that he used mainly to buy lunches & some odds &ends or cold beverages at gas station, but used our checking for his extra expenses like gas or going out with friends or hair cuts. It was just too much money for a 30 minute lunch that he would then complain to me was "not even that good." DH said he just liked leaving work for a break & hated eating in the lunch room. I'm lucky as I'm a social worker at a hospital part time so I have access to an inexpensive cafeteria where my lunches are like $3. we also ate out like 4-5 meals a wk together. This is just ridiculous.

So our new plan is now (we started March 31 since it was a mon)
1. DH packs lunches
2.I still buy as so cheap, but on days off have not been meeting friends for lunches (usually happened a few times a month)
3. I grocery shop every Friday for next wk (as a local grocery store was having lots of fri/sat only sales, & I hate busy sat shopping) with a list with meal plan, with paper & digital coupons
4. DH gets $40 a wk to spend on extras just for him or an occasional lunch out with friends
5. DH gets a fun money envelope that I've been putting away for him each wk to do as he wishes
6. We only get 2 out to eats together for the wk

Results thus far:
1. DH likes his packed lunches, but still hates eating in break room (people always ask him questions). Sometimes he just eats in his car to escape
2. DH has found most wks he never used his whole $40, last wk he had $20 left, the wk before he had $15. So he took the extra & added to fun money & started new wk with new $40
3. I like knowing I'm stocked up with a meal plan for the wk, no last minute runs to the store. I think I only had 1 so far when I misjudged how much milk we already had
4. We had 1 wk with an extra out to eat & it was a day I was sick & it was cheap fast food. We had another wk it was an expensive meal- we took FIL out to Cheesecake Factory for 72 bday, it was $143 for 4 of us, eek! But we said special occasions still get to happen no matter the budget & FIL loved it & we only ate out 2x.
5. I have found most of my days are no buys (no purchases for the day) this month with preplanning! I also really question myself if i really need something or would I rather have a healthy savings & own DVC.
6. I miss lunch with my friends, but now that it's finally getting nicer (it snowed here April 15!!!) maybe we can go for walks instead.

Next month I know my big extra expenses will be mothers day & finishing landscaping we started this month

What ways have you cut back? Im looking for more, maybe outside of food? We do plan to do a veggie garden again this year.

Angeejoe

 

[chris31997]

farmer's market, when you eat out do lunch instead of dinner or split an entree with appitizer, make your own laundry soap/household cleaners, use reuseable containers for lunch, use washclothes instead of paper towels, raise your thermostate a couple of degrees, put your hot water heater on a timer(in laws swear by this)

 

[Angeejoe]

farmer's market, when you eat out do lunch instead of dinner or split an entree with appitizer, make your own laundry soap/household cleaners, use reuseable containers for lunch, use washclothes instead of paper towels, raise your thermostate a couple of degrees, put your hot water heater on a timer(in laws swear by this)

Thanks for the ideas Chris! My plans to have my own farmers market in my back yard, lol we're lucky though, my DH aunt owns an orchard so we get some produce from her & we do have a very inexpensive produce market here locally. Also a church near our home sets up a farmers market once a wk in their parking lot.

Most of our 2x/wk eating out has been for lunch & I'm trying to go somewhere with coupons. We also do matinee movies instead which are $5.25 when we feel like we want an activity out. We also invested in our theatres reusable containers that are good for the whole yr, it's $3 to refill the plastic popcorn bucket or cup. We stopped getting appetizers as we rarely finished our dinners & I also always our water with meals after doing a diet 2yrs ago, hated wasting calories on drinks.

We use Tupperware (I used to sell it once upon a time), we have a container for everything! We also keep the temps pretty low already, right now it's set at 59 degrees & the highest we had it all winter was 65 degrees ( we had many -10 days here not including windchill). I do use dish towels quite a bit, but do reach for paper towels too (we buy in bulk, I think 20 jumbo in a pack & they last for much of the yr).

I'm going to ask my husband about the water timer, Ive never heard of it! I'm not too sure about making soap.

 

[dpswift]

Look into Groupon for your occasional night out. They do sometimes have great deals for local restaurants and activities. Also sign up for emails from favorite restaurants. Just do not read the emails if a dinner out is not in the plans for that week to avoid the temptation.

Be careful not to go overboard with coupons. In the past I have found that I spend more trying to get ALL the deals. Now I try to do all my grocery shopping at Target. I combine their coupons with manufacturers coupons and sales.

Good luck with your garden we tried last year and the only thing that did well was green beans.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I check ebates for coupons and cash back % before buying items.

For example right now Ebates has a 6% cash back for Kohls online purchases and a 20% off any online Kohls purchase coupon code.

A few months ago ebates had 20% off Disney park tickets if you bought the tickets from Orbits. Just got my $308 ebates refund check for my Disney ticket purchase and headed to the bank today!

Its summer so I will hang most of my clothes to dry. Things like bath towels and jeans only get dry for 1/2 the required time and I hang them up to finish drying. This method prevents the stiff, hard as a board feel you get if you just hang them to dry.

I use my crockpot a lot. I gather everything I need the night before and throw it all together in the morning. When I get home from work, dinner is done. And on weekends if we are busy around the house I don't have to stop what ever I am doing to make dinner. Then we always have leftovers when I use the crockpot so I have now taken care of two meals with little effort. I use crockpot liners so clean up is a snap.

 

[AnnaS]

Why do they ask your dh questions when he brings lunch? Many of us at work bring lunch/food to work for our break/lunches.

Try going out for breakfast with your friends instead of lunch once in a while too.

You are on the right track. Good luck!

 

[tina.tina]

It is harder to buy in bulk when there are only 2 of you, but you'll probably have less waste than if you had more people's tastes to try to please.

I love stocking up at Sam's for things like laundry detergent, shampoo/conditioner, and Cascade. For me, lots of things are cheaper there than other stores- like bread, frozen vegetables, and meats. We buy large packages of meats and separate them into meal-sized portions.

Most times, I go to more than one store to shop because some things are cheaper at one store than the other. We live in a small town but I still combine errands to save gas.

Recently, our dollar tree has had Nature's Own Wheat Bread (generally around $2.50/loaf) for $1.

I think you're on the right track with separating your money into different "pots." We actually got another checking account to direct deposit a portion of DH's check in there for his gas, etc. It was free with the direct deposit and we got it because I was sick of reconciling DH's $1.65 charges for Frappuccino because he wouldn't carry cash. It has helped with budgeting (and teaching him to budget), too.

 

[EMode]

So our new plan is now (we started March 31 since it was a mon)

4. DH gets $40 a wk to spend on extras just for him or an occasional lunch out with friends
5. DH gets a fun money envelope that I've been putting away for him each wk to do as he wishes

Results thus far:

6. I miss lunch with my friends, but now that it's finally getting nicer (it snowed here April 15!!!) maybe we can go for walks instead.


Angeejoe

I think its great you guys came up with a plan for saving but I have to ask, why does your dh get to spend $40 a week on extras just for him, and get a fun money envelope that he can do what he wishes, and you have to give up you lunch with friends?
I'm mentioning it because you say you miss it and it seems your dh still gets to have his extras and that just doesn't seem fair.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

It is harder to buy in bulk when there are only 2 of you, but you'll probably have less waste than if you had more people's tastes to try to please.

I love stocking up at Sam's for things like laundry detergent, shampoo/conditioner, and Cascade. For me, lots of things are cheaper there than other stores- like bread, frozen vegetables, and meats. We buy large packages of meats and separate them into meal-sized portions.

Most times, I go to more than one store to shop because some things are cheaper at one store than the other. We live in a small town but I still combine errands to save gas.

Recently, our dollar tree has had Nature's Own Wheat Bread (generally around $2.50/loaf) for $1.

I think you're on the right track with separating your money into different "pots." We actually got another checking account to direct deposit a portion of DH's check in there for his gas, etc. It was free with the direct deposit and we got it because I was sick of reconciling DH's $1.65 charges for Frappuccino because he wouldn't carry cash. It has helped with budgeting (and teaching him to budget), too.

You are right Tina buying in bulk for 2 people is hard but we are a family of two and you can bulk up on a lot of items. Especially if you shop at BJS. They mail a great coupon booklet monthly plus the accept mfg. coupons.

Laundry soap, shampoo, toilet paper is a big savings when bought in bulk-BJs usually has a $3 off coupon in their mailers, toothbrushes, crackers usually have a 6-8 month shelf life and if it is getting close to the expiration date, I use them in my meatloaf or to coat chicken before baking. I buy stew meat in bulk and package it in smaller portions to make stroganoff in the crockpot plus it cheaper. I pay $3 a lb at BJ and the grocery store wants $5 a lb. Plus I do a big bulk order in Sept that usually last me until spring. Then when I do my reg. grocery shopping in the winter I don't have as many bags to lug into the house when it is snowing.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Buy healthy lower cost foods. Beans are a good one. Make chili , rice and beans etc. So good for you and keeps the grocery bill down. Oatmeal and eggs are good too.

 

[manning]

Big first step and at first it is a pain

Start tracking everything thing you spend. You'll be surprised where it is all going to.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Why do they ask your dh questions when he brings lunch? Many of us at work bring lunch/food to work for our break/lunches.

I think she means that colleagues continue to ask work-related questions while her DH is on his lunch break.

 

[Marionnette]

Big first step and at first it is a pain

Start tracking everything thing you spend. You'll be surprised where it is all going to.

This is the first place to begin looking when you want to cut back spending. It's amazing how much we spend without thinking.

Other areas:

• Switch your cable/internet provider. Cut back on the number of set-top boxes and premium services.
• Review your insurance coverage and eliminate any duplicate coverage or unneeded costs. Consider switching providers if you can get a better rate from another company.
• Unplug any electrical devices that may be sapping energy when they are not in use.
• Don't renew newspaper or magazine subscriptions.
• Check your memberships to services like Costco, AAA and your health insurance for discounts you may be eligible for. Check your employee benefits to see what they also offer (gym membership? healthy lifestyle discounts on health insurance? discounted movie tickets, gift cards or corporate travel codes?)

Good luck!

 

[hsmamato2]

I have a tip.... DON'T buy in bulk at warehouse stores. I know, I'm a minority with this opinion, but from my own past,and from what I see friends doing, those store COST too much. I think people tend to buy too much and overstock..... I never saw any less spending years ago when I was a member... I just ended up getting BIG things there, then still hitting my local grocery for other items, then spending more than I would have with one good list,a meal plan,and a local store.(which doesn't charge to shop,BTW)
just my 2 cents.... I think a savings plan with a name for each thing you're saving for is a great idea,and keep track of your weekly spending.....
.......also, I recommend NOT buying a DVC resale until you have the savings acct. you want built up. DVC is a splurge,not an investment. It's great,if you want to do lots of disney trips over the next XXXX years, but it's not a 'money saver'.
I have nothing against DVC, but your savings acct. and real life should come first, then the DVC splurge, which is essentially prepaying a chunk of your planned vacations for the next 10-15 years. Not a savings,a prepaid vacation plan. (and only partially, do your homework before buying)
I think mindful spending is a great way to get the things you want!

 

[Angeejoe]

Look into Groupon for your occasional night out. They do sometimes have great deals for local restaurants and activities. Also sign up for emails from favorite restaurants. Just do not read the emails if a dinner out is not in the plans for that week to avoid the temptation.

Be careful not to go overboard with coupons. In the past I have found that I spend more trying to get ALL the deals. Now I try to do all my grocery shopping at Target. I combine their coupons with manufacturers coupons and sales.

Good luck with your garden we tried last year and the only thing that did well was green beans.

Groupon is a good idea, I kind of forgot about it. In the past I bought from there 2x once for a museum & once for a local nursery during planting season.

I am signed up for most restaurants emails & have lots of loyality cards. I started putting the emails in a digital folder when they come & if we decide to go out to eat I look thru the folder before we go to see if there's something that sounds good.

Some great restaurant emails I've found lately was that thus far this month Olga's has had "throwback Thursday's" where 3-4 are priced according to various yrs, I think today te prices are set for 1985! Also we love Red Robin & earn free meals for very nine spent, get tons of coupons for free things & various $ off.

Do you have a restaurant that you find great deals or get good emails?

In the past we've had success with tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red/yellow pepper (I hate green, lol), chives, basil & dill. My big failure was carrots & cauliflower, carrots were smaller than my pinky & cauliflower never actually grew but I had the giant green leaves.

Thank you for you quick reply!

I check ebates for coupons and cash back % before buying items.

For example right now Ebates has a 6% cash back for Kohls online purchases and a 20% off any online Kohls purchase coupon code.

A few months ago ebates had 20% off Disney park tickets if you bought the tickets from Orbits. Just got my $308 ebates refund check for my Disney ticket purchase and headed to the bank today!

Its summer so I will hang most of my clothes to dry. Things like bath towels and jeans only get dry for 1/2 the required time and I hang them up to finish drying. This method prevents the stiff, hard as a board feel you get if you just hang them to dry.

I use my crockpot a lot. I gather everything I need the night before and throw it all together in the morning. When I get home from work, dinner is done. And on weekends if we are busy around the house I don't have to stop what ever I am doing to make dinner. Then we always have leftovers when I use the crockpot so I have now taken care of two meals with little effort. I use crockpot liners so clean up is a snap.

You & I sound a lot alike ! I love ebates & have earned many of their "big fat checks." I find I use it a lot around the holidays, but lately I'm trying not to shop for extras as there's nothing I really need, but tons of stuff I want, lol!

I love the crock pot, it's my friend. It I could cook every meal in it I would! My favorite crock pot dishes are London broil we serve over mashed potatoes or rice, my version of stroganoff with noodles, shredded beef for enchiladas, chicken noodle soup. I also cook chicken in it wkly, let it cool, shred it & separate it out into casserole servings to put into freezer. It makes for a quick dinner.

What's your favorite crockpot recipe? ( I'm not evil, used him because he's stirring a pot)

Do you find you save a lot of $ in utilities when you hang laundry?

Why do they ask your dh questions when he brings lunch? Many of us at work bring lunch/food to work for our break/lunches.

Try going out for breakfast with your friends instead of lunch once in a while too.

You are on the right track. Good luck!

I should've wrote that more clearly, they ask him work related questions while at lunch. They know he's in the break room & so they just go ask him & don't wait until after his break. It drives him nuts. That's why he likes to leave.

Breakfast is a great idea as its a little less expensive! I think I'm going to plan a breakfast with my BFF!

Thanks for saying I'm on the right track! It's been hard as I feel like we made tons of changes all at once!

 

[Angeejoe]

It is harder to buy in bulk when there are only 2 of you, but you'll probably have less waste than if you had more people's tastes to try to please.

I love stocking up at Sam's for things like laundry detergent, shampoo/conditioner, and Cascade. For me, lots of things are cheaper there than other stores- like bread, frozen vegetables, and meats. We buy large packages of meats and separate them into meal-sized portions.

Most times, I go to more than one store to shop because some things are cheaper at one store than the other. We live in a small town but I still combine errands to save gas.

Recently, our dollar tree has had Nature's Own Wheat Bread (generally around $2.50/loaf) for $1.

I think you're on the right track with separating your money into different "pots." We actually got another checking account to direct deposit a portion of DH's check in there for his gas, etc. It was free with the direct deposit and we got it because I was sick of reconciling DH's $1.65 charges for Frappuccino because he wouldn't carry cash. It has helped with budgeting (and teaching him to budget), too.

We used to have a membership to Costco, but we didn't renew it last yr. I felt like we could never leave there without spending $75-$100 with only 7-10 things & had great intentions to eat everything, but it didn't happen. The pershibles went bad before we used them all like the hummus, the gacomole, cheeses (I know u can freeze it, but the thought of defrosting cheese freaks me out). I really like tide & downy (i know most expensive brand) & using unstoppables as im a person who loves the smells of things & found that shopping with coupons when on sale with the monthly p&g flyer i saved more than buying it at costco. My bff is a beautician & she buys all our hair care stuff in large professional bottles for very cheap & the bottles last 4-6 months, my shampoo is matrix & its $15 for the shampoo & conditioner & lasts 4-6 months. I did like buying paper towels there & my inlaws still belong so they pick up the towels or anything else for us when we need it & we just pay them.

I do really check out the ads & may stop somewhere for a few things if there's a great deal. I usually do it on my way home from work as krogers is next to my work & i drive past rite aid & Walgreens which of course are right across the street from each other!

I need to check out Dollar Store, we have a very large one nearby, but I haven't been there since Christmas time when I got wrapping stuff.

Thanks for seeing the beauty of the separate pots of money! I feel like its the only way that DH really "gets it.". He used to have his own checking account & it was a big failure, he used his debit card all the time & never kept a written balance & would end up with fees. I think once we get this down pat, maybe it's something to try again.

I think its great you guys came up with a plan for saving but I have to ask, why does your dh get to spend $40 a week on extras just for him, and get a fun money envelope that he can do what he wishes, and you have to give up you lunch with friends?
I'm mentioning it because you say you miss it and it seems your dh still gets to have his extras and that just doesn't seem fair.

I'm glad you pointed this out! I think I thought I was asking a lot of DH to give up so much & make lots of changes & that I needed to do something too! My big spending was shopping for clothes & purses & honestly it has been easy thus far for me to cut those 2 things out. I have plenty of clothes & enough purses to switch out to have a nice change, but these Coach & Dooney emails want to suck me back in- I have resisted. I know I should unsubscribe to emails from them, but I still like looking.

What I found that I miss about the lunches with friends was of course the companionship! I think I'm going to take an earlier suggestion & do breakfasts out.

We plan to reevaluate everything at the end of month, but thus far DH has found he's not even using the full $40, last wk he had $20 left& wk before $15 that he added to fun money. He also has only used his fun money 1x for dinner with his friend. It was almost like in order for him to be open to a big budget plan he had to have emergency money to not feel restricted & agree to it, but he's found he doesn't need it! I'm proud of him!

 

[nalajms]

I have a tip.... DON'T buy in bulk at warehouse stores. I know, I'm a minority with this opinion, but from my own past,and from what I see friends doing, those store COST too much.

I'm with ya! We still have memberships to Costco/Sams/BJ because other family members give us their 2nd card. Occasionally we'll buy stuff there. But most times I can get it cheaper with coupons at a grocery store or CVS.

Look into Restaurants.com and see if they sell GC to places you eat. Don't overlook GC. I think Outback has the year round buy 100 get 20. And I use my Discover cash back to get GC for cloths, movies, & restaurants. It's a much better deal (get $50 using $40 cash back) than others.

 

[Angeejoe]

Buy healthy lower cost foods. Beans are a good one. Make chili , rice and beans etc. So good for you and keeps the grocery bill down. Oatmeal and eggs are good too.

We just had chili last wk! Great minds think alike! my DH isnt big on making meals. His list of things he makes is chili ( he has his own recipe written on a recipe card, it's too cute), bacon, biscuits & gravy (it's been yrs since he made that though) & anything on the grill. Otherwise I make most of the meals.

Big first step and at first it is a pain

Start tracking everything thing you spend. You'll be surprised where it is all going to.

Thanks for recognizing what a big pain it is , but my wallet thanks me. We just needed to think smarter & spend better, we were wasting too much money for convenience. This all came about with tracking in March when we started talking DVC & wanting a healthier savings account. I found too much money went to dining out & lots of unplanned grocery stops. Also DH stopped a lot at carry for cold drinks on way to work, I never realized this, it's easier for me to buy snapple & cans of pepsi than him paying a premium at carry out as we normally had 2 liter at home.

I think she means that colleagues continue to ask work-related questions while her DH is on his lunch break.

this is exactly what's happening! They seek him out in break room, it's not like they're sitting there eating their lunch chatting work, they purposely find him to ask questions.

 

[manning]

As far as savings at warehouse clubs. Like everywhere else you have to know prices. Too many go onto automatic and think everything is cheaper there.

I have gotten somethings cheaper at costco but in order to do that you have to compare prices.

 

[writermommy6]

I have another suggestion about the lunch/breakfast with friends. Why not meet at the park if the weather is nice and everyone bring their own thing? You can pack your own and they can bring takeout or make their own also.
I do agree that it's a little unfair that your DH gets fun money and you are skipping lunch with your friends, but it's your thing so if you want to cut the costs and bag it then good for you!