Need some help learning to be more frugal

[MG3G]

Hello everyone -
I have lurked on the budget boards for a while getting ideas but have never posted here before.
I have 3 boys - 6 & 7 years and 7 months. I am 32 and we just celebrated our 10th anniversary in Feb. Our youngest is our "now-that-we-aren't-struggling-anymore" lets have one more baby, baby. I am in Canada so I get a government funded year off for maternity leave. My year is coming to a close soon and I don't really want to go back to work... sounds silly I know to finally get to a place where we had money to spend and now wanting to go right back to scraping by. To explain a bit I always worked nights and weekends to save on daycare costs and to be able to raise my boys myself when they were little and home all day. I don't want to go back to the craziness of never seeing my kids since they are a little older and are at school all day and I work all evening. Also my middle son has had several new diagnosis this year and has multiple health problems and several appointments a month which I need to be home to take him to. It is a great time for me to do this - I am on a "cleaning" frenzy - cleaning our house and donating 25% of the contents to charity, cleaning up our finances (re-financing right now) and trying to clean up all those loose un-organized ends in my life. I just downloaded the YNAB software and am making a plan to have no buy weeks and to stop impulse buying kids stuff. (My vice is "but this is such a great deal!" - I don't shop anywhere but sales, Wal-Mart and second hand.) I already cloth diaper and am trying really hard to not buy more diapers I don't need because they are "cute". Things I need to work on are --- saving money on cleaning products (looking for a REALLY good dishwasher soap recipe) and making freezer meals so we don't eat out on sports nights. Other then that I don't think we have anything we can cut out of our budget but would LOVE some suggestions.
Thanks for reading this REALLY long intro,
Melissa

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Well you have asked in the right place!

The biggest thing people will tell you is soooo true. Write down every penny you spend. It is a real eye opener and since doing it I have been saving literally hundreds of dollars a month, and I am not one who has ever stopped for coffee, got my nails done, so I really thought there would be little to cut for me. But really the "good deals" are only a good deal if you need it. Otherwise it is wasted money and space.

In January I joined No Buy here on Dis and the challenge of it has been really fun and motivating. Maybe you could join us.

Also, the frozen, homemade dinners is key. I always have a freezer stocked for nights like tonight. One DD has a school function, one has softball practice and one has dance class. Without being able to pull something out of the freezer, tonight we'd grab a pizza. My homemade frozen meals are cheaper, healthier and frankly better! When my freezer is low I fill it back up. It is so worth it.

Good luck, it can be done. I look at streching our income as part of my job as a SAHM and have learned to be pretty good at it.

 

[mrsklamc]

Buy or borrow a copy of 'The Complete Tightwad Gazette' by Amy Dacyzyn.

I'm not familiar with YNAB but people seem to like it here; I would also recommend Dave Ramsey.

Another good website/resource is thesimpledollar.com

 

[bas71873]

In January I joined No Buy here on Dis and the challenge of it has been really fun and motivating. Maybe you could join us.

Also, the frozen, homemade dinners is key. I always have a freezer stocked for nights like tonight. One DD has a school function, one has softball practice and one has dance class. Without being able to pull something out of the freezer, tonight we'd grab a pizza. My homemade frozen meals are cheaper, healthier and frankly better! When my freezer is low I fill it back up. It is so worth it.

I joined the No Buy thread on DIS this month. Fun, motivating and downright SCARY . I have got to get myself together. April was tough with Spring Break for DD and then a pre-planned solo trip to visit a friend of mine, but man is my spending out of control. Join in in May!

MickeyMomofThree - can you share some of your freezer recipes please

 

[abmitch01]

I save money by combining coupons with deals and rewards programs at CVS and Walgreen's, Target, etc. I try to get things for free or store money (that I then use on the next deal) and I started a stockpile of things we use/eat. Things that were free or close to it that we don't use or end up with too many of them, I sell at garage sales. I had two last yr, I advertised on Criag's List and my local paper for free making sure to note that it was a stockpile sale. Didn't bother with signage. Did two sales very last minute and made over $1000. I put that in college savings for my kids.

There are tons of websites that matchup weekly sales and recent coupons. It's a bit of work but worth it.

 

[abmitch01]

oh and tell people you know that you'd love their unused coupons, you won't believe how many you'll get.

I also take books out of the library on personal finance and thriftiness. Keeps me motivated.

 

[bettymae1121]

Ditch paper towels. I bought some really good quality wash cloths (about 30 of them) and use those for dish rags and for anything I'd use a paper towel for. I just wash them on hot with a shot of bleach (they're white) and the usual detergent and they come out great. I got a good deal on them at Costco, I've been doing it about a year and I've already more than broken even on the cost. I still keep a roll of paper towels on hand for emergencies (you just never know), but I don't buy the jumbo packs at Costco anymore.

Also, use cloth napkins instead of paper!

For cleaning I use vinager and baking soda for just about everything. Straight vinager works great for glass, and mixed 50/50 with water it cleans everything else. I sprinkle baking soda on tougher cleaning jobs (like the kitchen sink or the cook top) and then spray it with the water/vinager mix, let soak then scrub a bit with my wash cloth. Cleans right up! The only bought cleaners I use are for the toilet. I still buy dish soap, diswasher soap, and laundry soap, but I think I may try making my own laundry soap when my current bottle runs out. I buy vinager by the gallon at the grocery store and 5 pound bags of baking soda at Costco. It's super cheap and it lasts forever. As a bonus, it's also non-toxic!

Other general advice. Don't buy anything unless you really need it, and if you really need it reserch pricing before getting it. If it's something that you wouldn't mind getting second hand, also check craigslist, ebay, and thrift stores first.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

One thing is to not use shopping as an outing/activity. You walk into Walmart, stick to your list. Period. You do not cruise the sale clothes. You do not go down the scrapbook aisle to "see what's on sale."

When the kids need clothes hit the resale shops and the Salvation Army.

Buy quality clothes for you and your husband. You want things that wear and wash and wear again. Same for shoes for the two of you. You also want things that can be returned if they fall apart. For instance Nordstrom (mall store) and Land's End will both take back things. It's tempting to buy cheaply made clothes because they are cheap, but you will barely make it through one season.

Stop the gifting. Put a halt to endless Christmas gifts.... Do this ASAP. If you must do gifts make them. Gifts will cut right into your budget. For kid birthday party think books. The book stores always have bargain aisles. There is truly a book out there for every kid: books on cars, or castles, or craft books or humor.

Christmas, whew this is a tough one for all of us. Cut back, cut back, cut back. Ask the family to each choose one favorite cookie. You do not need 15 kinds of cookies. Children do not need "little junkers" (my friend's term) in stockings or under the tree. Do not buy anything that will be tossed out or easily busted. Again, a few quality items, that they love, will take up less space in your house and be a better long term purchase.

What can you do for free? If you want an outing check the newspaper. There is so much going on locally. Skip the fair and carnival type outings though as those involve food, rides.... pricey UNLESS you can get some kind of a "buy one ticket for all the rides night" thing. Check out forest preserves, local museums, the library....

Cut back on all cleaning products. Find out what plain ol' water can do. Cut down the laundry detergent. You will be amazed at how little detergent you really need.

Crockpot. Great for sports night.

There is no need for constantly "stocking up" on items. Items go on sale all the time. All the different boards I am on are always talking about de-cluttering and using things up. It seems many of us have stocked pantries and closets. There is no need to buy more when you already have a ton stockpiled.

Before you start any home project write down a list of all the home projects you currently have going. What have you already purchased but never started or finished? Unless it is a true emergency do all those other projects first. Sometimes we enjoy the planning and shopping for a home project more than the doing. The same is true for any kind of fun hobbies, craft projects....

Good luck!!!!

 

[MommyBell08]

I have save hundreds on joining the budget board. Also got the Dave Ramsey book from my local library, and love love love the site Hip2save.com... This girl gets her coup-on... SERIOUSLY! lol.. Good luck!

 

[beansmom]

Jill, awesome advice.

My big thing is joining Fractured.net . It's an online community for frugality and those gals have thrift down to a science. Great support there, too.

It costs about $20 for a year but soooo worth it.

Oh...and www.afullcup.com . It's great too...their forums will tell you what's on sale, upcoming sales, what coupns are out on those items. Good stuff!

 

[bumbershoot]

Congrats and good luck!

"I already cloth diaper and am trying really hard to not buy more diapers I don't need because they are "cute"."

Oh definitely! When I first started CD'ing I didn't see that many cute ones...so we went basic. As DS was figuring out the potty, however, soooo many cute things that weren't one-of-a-kind boutique-couldn't-buy-even-if-I-wanted-to dipes were coming out! I recommend staying OFF the CD'ing boards entirely so you can stay strong.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

I've started using Mint.com to keep track of our spending! We set a budget and get e-mails when we go over.

 

[abmitch01]

I love Mint and Afullcup.

We're big library people. I don't buy books anymore or CDs. Ours even has video games to borrow. There are museum passes for free, fishing poles you can borrow, on and on

 

[Taja]

Definitely track your spending for two or three months to see how money disappears. That includes your DH, too! He may want to take an "allowance" so he doesn't have to account for every penny he spends while working, but once that money is gone, he has to account for everything he spends, too! The allowance should be fairly minimal--think of it as petty cash. Probably under $50 or so for the month--perhaps even $20. Depends on what he is accustomed to spending.

It's amazing how many little ways we can spend money--without even trying! My weakness is fabric! *LOL* Unless you sew, it makes no sense at all. And leather goods--shoes and purses. Thankfully, I buy high quality shoes and purses, so I don't have to replace them very often!

I discovered microfiber cleaning cloths about eight years ago! Love them! They minimize the need for cleaning products for dusting, cleaning windows, mirrors, etc. And I use steam to clean the hard floors. I need to make a microfiber pad for my steamer--I bought it a long time ago--before microfiber was popular. You just wash and dry them (no fabric softener or softener sheets, please) and use them again!

Once you understand where/how the money is being spent, create a budget. Be as precise as possible on the recurring expenses (mortgage/rent/taxes/insurance/vehicle) and a tad more flexible on the variable expenses, such as food, clothing, entertainment, etc. You'll need to set limits, but try different amounts--and try to keep it reasonable at the beginning. Some months one category may be higher than others--our utilities peak in the summer (air conditioning), but are pretty minimal in the spring and fall, and a bit higher in the winter. It just depends on where you live.

Be sure to budget for repairs & mainteance of your home and vehicles. If you don't use the amount, tuck it savings for when you do need it--don't spend it on something else. You will need it sooner or later! *LOL*

Start working on it now, so you'll know if you need to go back to work or can be at home with your children. Perhaps you'll decide to look into something part time on the weekends or other times when your DH can be home to care for the children. No matter how much you love them, sometimes you need adult time--and working can take care of that and bring in a little extra income!

Be sure your DH is on board with tracking and the possibility of not having a second income. You'll be fighting another battle if he isn't.

Good luck!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I joined the No Buy thread on DIS this month. Fun, motivating and downright SCARY . I have got to get myself together. April was tough with Spring Break for DD and then a pre-planned solo trip to visit a friend of mine, but man is my spending out of control. Join in in May!

MickeyMomofThree - can you share some of your freezer recipes please

I really No Buy. It is great!

OK, here is one that I love to make because it is so many meals in one.
Sloppy Joes. Fine as is on buns or over pasta. Great base for spaghetti sauce, casseroles, soup or chili.

I bown up a HUGE package of ground beef (like from Sam's, several pounds. Sorry, I never measure.) Drain and set aside. Then cook up piles of onions andpsppers (I like red but green are fine too.) Combine it all and add some vinegar, a tablespoon or so, and a handful (depending on your taste) Steak Seasoning and a couple heaping tablespoons of brown sugar. Let it cook a few minutes while stirring so the sugars melt in. Then pour that into the crock pot with various tomato products. I like crushed, broken up whole and paste, but whatever works till you get it the thickness you like and cook for hours. My crock pot is 7 quarts and I freeze it in 7-10 bags, depending on it's use. Late I may add some more tomato product to make it thinner depending on what I am doing with it. I would be lost without it in my freezer.

Last night we used it for chili for dinner. In the morning it popped a bag of it in the crock pot, still frozen. I added black, white, red, garbanzo and chili beans, a jar of salsa, a can of Rotel, a can of crushed tomatoes, an additional red pepper and onion, a bag of frozen corn and some jalapenos and cooked it all day. Came home, made some guacomole and jalapeno cornbread in no time and dinner was ready when we walked in from dance. Pretty cheap, and sooo yummy! (Even cheaper if you use dry beans.)

Some other things I do is cook up piles of chicken when it's on sale. I get it all cut up and freeze it in packs. It can be thawed fast for pasta, chicken tacos, enchilladas, you name it. I also mix piles of meatloaf and freeze them as is and ready to thaw and bake. When I am making things like lasagna or stuffed shells I make 2 or 3 extra trays and freeze them (depending on my freezer space.) Doesn't take much longer to make extras and you can use the big packs of cheese from Sam's.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Shop for groceries early in the morning if you can - that's when they mark down the meat etc that needs to sell that day. I buy multiple packages of on sale hamburger meat - take it home and cook it up (that day - important don't wait) and then freeze it in 1 lb bags. I defrost them as I need them and they become spaghetti, chili, sloppy joes etc.