Hi everyone, Since we're in a Recession and hopefully the only time the market will be this bad during our adult lives, I would love to hear/share ideas of what other moms are doing to cut back on their family's expenses. On our end, we want to contribute the same amount to our 401Ks right now while stocks are cheap. We're not perfect, just trying to eat most of our meals in right now and consolidate trips to the store. I've also been buying diapers and wipes in bulk and am dropping my cell phone for a trac phone since I don't use very many minutes. Not creative stuff, but I'd like to hear everyone else's ideas.
I make my own blankets anyways so now I'm using a lot of our old tshirts as quilt patches. When its not as nasty out as today, we walk to the store instead of driving. I don't buy namebrand stuff cept on clearance. We don't eat out much at all, maybe once a month at the most. We freecycle a lot of our stuff.
This is a great post, and I'm looking forward to seeing ideas from others.
Here are my ideas. Many of these aren't necessarily new for me since I've always been frugal, but maybe they will help others. Groceries are extremely expensive right now (especially for my family of 8), so most of my ideas are centered around saving money on food. Here goes:
1. We pack our lunches
2. I scour the weekly ads from my grocery store, and plan my meals around what is on special.
3. I use coupons whenever possible...and not just for groceries. Kohls, Macy's, Justice, Lowes, etc.
4. Marc's (NE Ohio Discount chain -- super cheap!!) is my first stop for groceries, then I stop at Giant Eagle to get whatever Marc's didn't have.
5. I use my Giant Eagle Fuel Perks points to save money on gasoline.
6. Speaking of Fuel Perks, I take my dry cleaning to Giant Eagle, and I also buy gift cards there...even for myself to use. If I'm going to spend $25 at Kohls I may as well buy a Kohls gift card and get Fuel Perks for it!!
7. We don't dine out unless it's a special occasion.
8. On Tues & Wed, Pizza Bogo in Hudson offers large pizzas with unlimited toppings for $5 each...no limit!
9. I don't put anything on credit cards. Sometimes I have to use a store credit card in order to use their coupon, but if so, I go straight home and schedule a payment on my online banking.
10. We discontinued our long distance service on our home phone since we have free long distance on our cell phones.
11. We also discontinued all of the 'extras' on our phone service except callerID. (Yes, we have 8 people in our family, and no call waiting.) Items #10 and #11 have saved us $25/month on our phone bill.
12. We called our insurance agent, and asked him to do whatever necessary to save us money on our auto insurance. Without changing our coverage at all, he was able to save us $40/month.
13. We installed a programmable thermostat.
14. If you're a long-term customer of a major credit card, and you're in good standing, you can call them and ask them to lower your interest rate. They'd rather do that than have you transfer your balance. If you're currently paying 18% or higher, call them. The worst they can do is say no.
I hope this helps someone. I can't wait to see the good ideas from other moms!
Buy a programmable thermostat and drop the temperature during the day when no one is home. We keep our thermostat at 62 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM - why heat a home that is empty?
Do you have a household budget? If not, sit down with your husband and actually put on paper where your money is going. This will give you an indication as to where you could cut back if necessary.
We no longer have a landline. Our cell phones are sufficient, have voice mail, have text messaging, and it isn't extra for long distance.
Do you have a daily indulgence you might want to give up or turn into a special treat? I used to be a Starbucks junkie, drinking a grande mocha daily. That's $4 a day, $20 a week, $1040 a year! One tiny little change, right? Turn it into a weekly treat if need be, a 'reward' of sorts.
I also buy gift cards at the grocery store that offers a fuel discount boost. Just like the other poster said, if I'm going to be shopping may as well get a gas discount while I'm at it. I did my Christmas gift card shopping there and filled up my car for $15 twice over the holiday because I saved my accumulated points.
Doing simple little things really do add up, and even though the one-time savings is only a few dollars or so, multiply the savings by the week, the month, or the year to see the bigger picture.
Definately buy in bulk. We have a membership to Sams and make that our BIG grocery trip once a month to buy things like diapers, wipes, paper towel etc. We have to grocery shop once a week for things like milk but I also try to watch the ads to see who has a better deal on things like milk. I also try on make one day, like Sunday and cook up to meals for the week and freeze them. Then when we are in a rush we are not as tempted to eat out. Also if you do treat yourself to eating out find places that kids eat for free, like Gold Star has kids eat free night on Tuesdays.
I also watch gas prices and if they drop I tell my husband to fill up. Unfortunately we live in a very rural area or we would be walking to most places.
Entertainment is important so we don't get too stressed from all work and no play but there are many ways to have fun for free or little money. Borrow movies from the library rather than renting(we haven't gone out to the movies in ages!). Just be sure to return them on time!Borrow books too rather than buying. Take turns with friends for potlucks and game nights rather than going out. If you have young children trade babysitting with other parents and then go home and have some alone time!
Learn to enjoy cooking rather than seeing it as a chore--it is especially fun if you can do it with others. Cooking from scratch is cheaper and healthier.
Please don't skimp on quality of food though when trying to save money--your health and your childrens health is too precious for that. White bread may be cheaper but it is far more expensive in the long run for example. I buy whole grain (even organic) breads from the Aunt Millies outlet store at way less than in the stores.
Amy,
My husband has been taking his lunch to work rather than spending money at a fast food place. And he's been doing it for years. Easily saving $5 a day, $25 a week, $100 a month ... it really adds up.
Jenny
Try:
1) http://www.grabillmeats.com/
2) http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
Food discount sites
Many overlook coupons. I spend about an hour a week going through clipping and sorting them and looking at the Meijer/Marsh sales flyer to plan my shopping list. It may sound like alot of time, but I usually take at least $50 off my weekly shopping trip. That's like being paid $50/hour - not bad for a SAHM! :-)
We use Netflix and rarely go to the movie theatre (maybe once a year?). They have 'instant' movies and TV shows you can watch anytime on your computer. If you pay $99 (one time cost) for the box you hook to your TV you can watch thousands of shows/movies instantly on your TV. I know many people who've dropped cable/dish TV completely and just use netflix now. We've used tracfone for almost 5 years and that has saved us hundreds of dollars a year.
Last spring we cut our internet/tv/phone bill in half by switching to AT&T Uverse. We ended up with faster internet and about twice as many channels and added HD channels for the first time.
There are tons of 'frugal' and 'budget' and 'one-income' websites out there with tons of info about spending less.
I started using in ad coupons again.In December I saved over $30. on groceries that are name brand.I also started shopping at Aldi's for more groceries and I save even more money there.The canned fruit and vegtables taste the same as big name brand and are about half the price.Their fresh produce is also more affordable.Real butter is never over 2.29 a pound, their milk is cheaper and we drink a lot of milk as we do not drink colas any longer.We also drink a lot more water and it has improved our health greatly.I also combine shopping trips with Dr. visits as much as possible to help save gas. And before I leave to go out I check on line for the most reasonable gas prices in the area that I am going too.If it is low I tap off the tank. I did this last Saturday and by the time Monday got her gas had gone from 1.53 to 1.79 per gallon on tuesday. That's a .26 cents a gallon savings. We have also cut way back on eating out at family restraunts and cook more at home.Average restraunt bill is between $15. and $22. plus tip, cooking the same meal at home is around $8.00. We also changed all of our medications to the generic equivilant and this came out to be over a $200. savings per month.I buy many things like T.P. and paper towels in larger amounts and save money on them as well.I also found that Dollar General sells the expensive shampoos and conditioners for around a dollar cheaper per bottle than K- mart or Walmart.Big Lots sells household cleaning supplies under the bissel or power house name brand and they work just as good if not better than the pricey stuff at the grocery stores.
I have also found that buying printer ink on line is cheaper than going to staples or a buisness supply store. Today I bought a Bissel pet hair eraser hand vac on line and saved over $15. on it by getting it factory direct.My birthday present to myself this year.And very much needed as I have 4 indoor cats.
Good Luck
Debbie
I keep a running grocery list on the door of the refrigerator. I found shopping at Sam's, Costco, etc., was not necessarily cheaper. If I am going out I run my errands while I am out, no special trips.
I use the bags I get at the store to line my trash cans in the bathroom, bedroom, etc. This has made a big difference in what I spend on trash can/garbage can liners.
Turn off the lights! If I am not in a room the lights go off, the television set doesn't run if I am not in the room. Turn off the speakers, printer, etc., to my computer when I am not on it. I turned the thermosat down to 65 and leave it there all winter. A little cool? Add a sweat shirt, slippers, etc., and keep afghans on the back of the sofa for when we are resting. We have a small space heater in the bathroom for while we are bathing. Flannel sheets do make a big difference on the bed.
You can find a lot of good clothes at the consignment shops (Goodwill just isn't as inexpensive as people would like to believe it is anymore, but still jeans at $5.00 is better than paying full price!)
I noticed Aldi's has raised it prices and sometimes things are more expensive there than at Meijers/Target/or WalMart. If fact I can get many of my pet supplies cheaper at Kroger than at WalMart.
Read the flyers for the stores and stock up on items you know will be used in a reasonable amount of time when they are on sale, and do use coupons!!!! I also look at the Reduced for Quick Sale, clearance items. A dent in the can doesn't damage the product inside.
Check your brand name products, sometimes the store brand is made by one of the major companies and costs less. An example is when I visited a salt company on the coast years ago. When we got to the packaging part of the tour Sterling was going down one slot, Morton another, and Marsh brand another. That was shock!
It is cheaper to rent a movie from the library than the video store, cheaper to rent at the video store than it is to go to the movies! If you really want to go to the movies go to the afternoon showing. It is also cheaper to borrow a book from the library than it is to buy one! Visit used book stores, etc., before you buy new. Most libraries can get a book or movie in for you from a different branch. Just ask them.
Shoes and underwear, buy good, quality products. Spend the extra money here, they will last a lot longer! Some of my Cross Your Heart Bras are over 8 years old and still in great shape!
Wash all but white clothes in cold water, hang delicates on a drying rack, and if possible hang your other clothes to dry instead of running the clothes dryer!
- Coupons: Since we get the Sunday paper anyway, I have been using coupons diligently, but only for items I would normally buy, unless it is a really great one, like $1-$3 and something I want to try.
- Budget: I also budget myself per week, and if it takes all of it at the grocery then I have to wait until the next week for anything else I might be needing, like kleenex, paintbrushes, socks, etc.
- Cooking: Meals like chili, ham & beans, soups- I make enough for at least 2 meals and make sure we do not throw away leftovers. Freezing some if I see we are not going to use it.
- Beauty shop: I cut my own hair- sometimes my daughter helps me, and I stopped coloring it- gray is OK.
- Printing: I cut back on picture printing- taking digitals and then putting them on discs instead, only printing the really good ones.
- Dollar Store: I use the dollar stores for paper goods and other items that I can get there like laundry det.
- No Impulse Buys: I am not impulse buying like I used to. If I did not set out to get an item, if it is not on my list I don't get it. Of course there are exceptions but very few.
- Thermostat: 67 in daytime, 63 at night or when no one is home.
- Since I am a SAHM, I clean a house, babysit and sometimes paint rooms for cash.
Hi, My husband does the grocery shopping for our family because he is a fiend about price comparing and not buying non-essentials (he never buys chips, pop, ice cream or other junk food- we only get those things occasionally, when I buy them!). We don't have a membership at any discount stores. He goes to Aldi first to get as many items on the list as possible, then Wal-Mart for the rest, and our grocery bill is pretty manageable. He used to be a Giant Eagle shopper, but we're saving more money now than when we had "fuel perks".
My husband has a cell phone for work, and we use that for long-distance calls. We don't have a long-distance plan or any extras (no call waiting or voice mail) on our home phone. Also, we don't have cable television. You can watch a lot of shows and movies on-line for free at Hulu.com and other legal sites.
Hi Amy,
What a great question!
For me I am a waste not want not type of girl!
I like to make things last as long as I can and get the most out of my items!!
So here are a couple money saving tips from me.....
DRYER SHEETS-For these I DO buy name brand. I am a sucker for smell..I like my clothes smelling fresh :)
BUT what I do is...I take them all out of the box and cut them right in half. Do you know you only need half of a dryer sheet???!!! NOW..take notice here, if I am washing towels or thicks sweatshirts I use a whole sheet (tossing two of the cut sheets in the dryer) ok..so THEN...when taking the clothes out of the dryer I save the dryer sheets...THEN when I have more then 2 half sheets, I reuse them. Yep that's right. I throw 2 used half sheets in the dryer and it works even still! No static ..then if you want you can use the sheets a third time to dust your house or dust off you washer and dryer and throw it away.
VINEGAR-This is the best product ever!
This product in environmentally friendly and safe for pets and people.
Vinegar is an all purpose cleaner you can use it to clean just about everything
You can use it in the laundry as well, used as a "fabric softner" even. And it does help with the static as well
I also use it in my dishwasher. Instead of jet dry or any kind of other rinse I just pour vinager in the rinse compartment. It does not leave your dishes tasting or smelling like vinager what so ever and it works great!!
Also when buying can goods, I often check out my family dollar, dollar general, dollar trees. They have tons of can goods from fruits and veggies to spaghettie o's and just lots of shelf groceries for a fraction of the price of your grocery store (even cereal!) keep an eye on expiration dates and keep an eye on yourself, it's so tempting to walk those stores and load up and if you end up doing that you've defeated the purpose of going in there to save in the first place lol...yes..that's me speaking from experience lol...
So there are a couple of my money saving tips!
Shawna
Amy,
It is funny that you wrote about this today, because I am working on a blog that addresses these issues. I thought it would be fun for me to post my money saving ideas, especially since I have been able to provide quality products for my family and be green all at the same time. Some of the things I do:
-Hang clothes out on the line (weather permitting)
-Wash clothes in cold water
-I am starting a coop to buy organic food in bulk (eating properly cuts down on doctor's visits) my research has shown that I can buy organic grains in bulk and it will be less expensive than non-organic at the grocery store. Plus I am making less trips to the store.
-I use all the Shaklee products I can (the cleaning supplies are safe for kids and unbelievibly inexpensive). Then I started telling people about the products I love and started getting everything paid for (vitamins, cleaners, skin care products,even our water filter,etc...)After working full time I decided to stay home with my son, and I am making as much now working part time from home then I was full time away from home. I love it.
-I car pool as much as I can
-Found a friend to make freezer meals with me. Once a month we cook meals for the entire month. Buying bulk saves money, I only have to clean up a big kitchen mess once, and it saves on energy and time.
Let me know if you would like my blog address. It is not set up or I would give to you now.
I am a part time work at home mom (I graduated in Marketing and International Business so your about me cought my eye!) It would be fun to talk to you. I have a 21 month old boy! March 26 is his b-day. Have a great day!
these are things my husband & i have been doing before the economy tanked & we are even more vigilant about it now.
if you do go out to eat, order one entre for you & your spouse (maybe even a kid can share one meal...some places have huge portions).
read the newspaper & publications online instead of purchasing it.
buy nearly everything in bulk (if it's a good deal & most of the time it is) & store in a pantry...things from spaghetti & marinara sauce to toilet paper & garbage bags. we save money from our costco membership in just a few trips.
buy kids clothes at resale shops or thrift stores.
sell your used/older clothes that you no longer wear.
pay for larger items & smaller items in cash. such as a new tv, make sure you have that same amount in the bank & ready to pay off the credit card before you purchase. & then the smaller stuff, like a starbucks trip: buy a gift card there for yourself & say 'this is for the entire month' & if you use it before then, well, no more starbucks until the next month. (or whatever vice you have, not just starbucks, for my hubby, it's home depot). the good thing is that if you buy these gift cards at certain stores, it gives you money off on your groceries or gas (like giant eagle...which we don't buy groceries there b/c it's too expensive, but we do buy gas & it's a great deal). we joke that this is our way of laundering money. we buy gift cards for everything, like going out to eat (california pizza kitchen, etc)...
the best money saver so far has been to not have cable. i know some people can't live without it, but it has forced us to talk & hang out when we used to watch tv. plus, the main networks have some pretty good programs that we have recently purchased a tivo to help us watch it when we want to. anyway, if you don't even want to have a tivo, you can watch most of the networks' shows free online!
this is all i can think of right now. hope at least one helps you.
-heidi
Whenever possible, I'm trying to shop locally, and consolidate trips in the car. Thanks for bringing this up--I will look forward to seeing what others say.
Sounds like you are doing well already! We are renting movies with Netflix rather than going out...and I scour the listings to find good movies for us to watch on Cable as well. Eating in is probably the biggest thing for us. Plus my oldest daughter and I are vegetarians. THis is an amazing difference! Even if you still want to add meat in some of your meals, if you can cut some of it out, it can really lower your grocery bill. I make lots of soups because you can use up leftover veggies, etc.
We also shop at Goodwill for clothes. True you don't always find what you want, but if you are diligent, you will find some bargains. My husband loves to go when they have the 50% off sales...you can buy a huge bag of clothes for next to nothing!!!
Best to you!!
I love this topic!
Gift giving: We made home-made baked cookies and candy for Christmas gifts as well as the tags - and we're doing our own greeting cards for other gifts through the year. We also decorate a plain white gift bag with fun stamps, art work or drawings. My kids love doing their own custom design too.
Meals: I am planning more at the grocery store and eating all of our meals at home. Many of them are large pot meals that can extend to great left-overs or another meal later. I can do many things with either a pot roast or whole roasted hen later in the week.
My children take a lunch every day at school including real juice (most packaged ones are all sugar) which we pack in a reusable container that gets cleaned every night.
Entertaining: We are having friends over for pot-luck dinners. How did this ever go out of style?! We are having the best time sharing evenings over the weekend with friends who are also not going out to cut back. We are back to playing cards and board games more to do something fun at home during the winter months indoors.
Coupons: We let our children cut the coupons and they get to keep 1/2 of whatever is saved at the grocery. They are motivated to help and they can see how it helps save the family money too.
Vacation: We have taken a driving vacation instead of flying. True, its more of a challenge, but we do have some funny on-the-road memories that would have never happened otherwise. Including some great roadside diner meals with such character.
Kids help: We have instilled a "chore jar" system for bad behavior instead of the unproductive "time out". My children are a bit too old for this technique to really work now anyway. Here's how it works: The jar is filled with little slips of paper with a chore on it. Things like: match 20 pair of socks, vacuum the downstairs, walk the dog, dust the banister. We are getting use of diverting fighting, smart mouth, bad language, etc. with useful help around the house. We find this one to be brilliant! My girlfriend shared this with us last year and we think its a gem of an idea. Better behavior and useful things get done.
We marketing women must be a thrifty bunch. I worked as Dir. of Mktg. for a large industrial co. for eleven years before starting a nanny agency. I love what I do now but working from home has its challenges. The biggest part of this was realizing my children need responsibilities to help out (age appropriately) or I'm going crazy. When "mom does it all" it teaches them to be lazy and grow up unable to take care of themselves independently. These household tasks are life skills everyone needs to know.
Check out the website www.5dollardinners.com
Hope this help