Mary in NJ Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I'm thinking about a spending diet. What are things that you do so that money does NOT come out of your pocket? Here is what I do: I cut my boy's hair I recently refashioned an old skirt of mine that was out of style. Now it is a knee-length pencil skirt. I really do like it. 90% of my boys clothes are hand me downs. We do our own yardwork. Unlike our neighbors who hire people to cut their lawn. I used to FREECYCLE while living in NJ. I got a lot of great things there, especially sewing supplies. What are some things that you do that greatly REDUCE the amount of money coming out of your pocket? A large amount of my skirts/blouses are sewn. Same with my daughter. I buy some things that I feel are too time consuming to sew, like jeans, jackets, etc. I heavily use coupons to buy groceries and health and beauty supplies. Sometimes I am able to get them for almost free or on occassion, free. I try to keep a well stocked pantry. What are some things that you do to GENERATE extra money? Since we are stay at home women, it is a little more difficult to earn money. Recently, I have sold some hand sewn and quilted items. I took a box of things to our local homeschool store for re-sell. I'm thinking about a yard sale? Sounds like a lot of work. I taught a group of girls the basics in sewing. Looking forward to some fresh ideas from you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I'm thinking about a spending diet. What are things that you do so that money does NOT come out of your pocket? Here is what I do: I put off getting my hair cut, sometimes for a year or more. What are some things that you do that greatly REDUCE the amount of money coming out of your pocket? I get almost all of my kids' clothes and some of my own, as well, from resale shops or thrift stores. Nearly all the grocery and household items I buy are store brand (unless name brand is on sale & cheaper). I haven't done as good of a job looking for sales lately. I try to go grocery shopping once a month, to cut down on impulse purchases. What are some things that you do to GENERATE extra money? Since we are stay at home women, it is a little more difficult to earn money. I'm thinking about a yard sale? Sounds like a lot of work. Yeah, it is, but it's worth it to get stuff out of the house, and recover some money while doing it. We need to have one this year, but may need to borrow some tables. I take some of the kids' clothing & toys to the kids' resale shop to sell. Haven't done it in a long time, though. They're pretty picky, so sometimes I bring a whole basket of clothes, and come back home with a whole basket of clothes--minus a couple of items they accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiaNKids Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Great suggestions! I have always cut my son's hair, I am trying to use more natural cleaners like vinegar, I try to use the library more (hard sometimes but I do try) :tongue_smilie: As far gaining income, I sell on ebay and used curriculum sites. Tia I'm thinking about a spending diet. What are things that you do so that money does NOT come out of your pocket? Here is what I do: I cut my boy's hair I recently refashioned an old skirt of mine that was out of style. Now it is a knee-length pencil skirt. I really do like it. 90% of my boys clothes are hand me downs. We do our own yardwork. Unlike our neighbors who hire people to cut their lawn. I used to FREECYCLE while living in NJ. I got a lot of great things there, especially sewing supplies. What are some things that you do that greatly REDUCE the amount of money coming out of your pocket? A large amount of my skirts/blouses are sewn. Same with my daughter. I buy some things that I feel are too time consuming to sew, like jeans, jackets, etc. I heavily use coupons to buy groceries and health and beauty supplies. Sometimes I am able to get them for almost free or on occassion, free. I try to keep a well stocked pantry. What are some things that you do to GENERATE extra money? Since we are stay at home women, it is a little more difficult to earn money. Recently, I have sold some hand sewn and quilted items. I took a box of things to our local homeschool store for re-sell. I'm thinking about a yard sale? Sounds like a lot of work. I taught a group of girls the basics in sewing. Looking forward to some fresh ideas from you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in NJ Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 These are great! Does anyone else have some ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 To save money: I clean everything with baking soda and vinegar. I converted us over to cloth napkins. I converted us over to mostly cloth in the kitchen. I still use paper towels for really gross things. Stock up on shampoo and the like when there is a really good sale. Buy as much clothing as possible on clearance. There are no good thrift stores where I live. Bake all our bread. I am considering making my own pasta. Cook almost everything from scratch, plus monthly pantry challenge so I use what I have. To make money: I have not come up with anything yet. Some of my friends have expressed interest in purchasing some loaves of bread. I may start doing it. But I am not sure it will be worth the time and energy used for a couple of friends. Yard sales are a lot of work but are a great way to reduce clutter and earn some income. I sell big items on Craigs List. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in NJ Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 To make money:I sell big items on Craigs List. This is a great idea! I really do not have enough for a yard sale, but I have about 7 large items that I would like to sell. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I cut the hair of everyone in my family, including myself. I don't use soap or makeup, and use olive oil for a moisturizer. We don't buy newspapers or magazines. All my pants, shorts, and skirts come from the thrift store, as well as some of my shirts and shoes. I let my mother purchase clothes for my kids as their birthday presents. (She likes to do this.) We only eat out on special occasions. I buy store brand or on sale/in season. We eat from the garden during the summer and don't buy produce. I started composting this year, I love throwing our organic waste in the compost bin. Pulling up weeds has become more pleasant now that I know they will be composted and nourish next year's garden. We have started setting aside a large chunk of money each month since we paid off our credit card and van. We use the money for big price tag things that come up, instead of relying on the credit card and getting into debt again. I have never been good at generating income. Probably because I've never really been motivated to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 A friend of mine took her yard sale type stuff to a local auction house. She says that a lot of the stuff was junk, but she ended up getting over $300 for it all. You might want to try that. I don't live in a city. I live just down the road from Gettysburg: mostly farmland. So, this wasn't a big fancy auction house. This was just a little place that the local farmer-type people go to. It's not a long-term way to make money, but it's a better return than a yard sale and certainly a lot easier. She just dropped off the boxes and the auction house did the rest. (Of course, the auction house also kept some of the profit, but it was still more than if she'd yard-saled the stuff.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 As far as thrift stores, I just spent 2 hours in one trying on probably about 100 shirts and came away with only 5 that fit, but the cost was only $17.50. The two hours and the energy-draining trying on were worth it to me to get 5 really nice shirts for under $20. With the other 4 shirts that were already in my closet from last year, I'm done with shirt buying for the summer, for under $20. So, take a careful look at your local thrift stores. You might think that nothing's there, but if you have the couple of hours and the stamina to try on up to 100 items, you can get some nice stuff very cheaply. I'm considered to be very nicely dressed by the people I know. I just take a loooong time at the thrift store and reject anything that isn't complimentary to me. That's how I make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Dryer rack for the jeans (and other stuff) after a quick spin in the dryer. Set my printer to photo paper after the ink cartridge is empty and it works again! Let the dishwasher air dry and use very little detergent. I do my pans by hand and only have to run it every other day or so. Shop at Sam's and use half/freeze half of many items. Big basement for pantry items and an extra freezer. Always purchase in bulk or on sale. Clean with natural cleaners except I still like Windex...for the mirrors. I'm trying to buy quality not quantity and used when ever possible. Last year we took shares in a CSA and loved the organic veggies, but the cost was so high. We are doing our own container gardening and enjoying the fruits of our labor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 To save money: Get a copy of the Tightwad Gazette (ask friends or look in the library before buying, but I do think buying it is worth it; the ideas in the book will pay the purchase price quickly). Read it. If you've read it before, reread it. Take notes. (That's what I'm doing now; it's time to tighten our belts even further.) Bulk buy: know what the lowest price is (I have kept a price book before, but I know most prices in my head now) and buy nonperishables in bulk at that price in quantities that will get you through to the next sale. This saves lots of money and time. Do pay attention to the little things. The small stuff adds up, and the attention paid to the small stuff will transfer over to the big things when the big things come along. If your utility bills are high, figure out how to lower them. I was looking at the Mr. Electricity website last night (http://michaelbluejay.com) and it gave a lot of ideas. Think of how people used to do things. When she was your age, your grandmother likely didn't have air conditioning, or a dryer, or two cars, not to mention cable TV and cell phones. Those things might be necessary for you, or worth the money, but be thoughtful about it and don't assume that you "deserve it." Comparison shop for car and homeowner's insurance. See if you can cut your internet or phone rates by calling to see if you can get a promotional rate. Magicjack saves a ton of money over traditional phones ($40 for the first year; $20 per year after that, assuming you keep internet). The service isn't quite as good, but we have been making do. We also have prepaid cell phones for $10 per month. If you really need to cut back precisely, budget. We're just starting to use Charlie Park's free PearBudget spreadsheet (http://www.pearbudget.com/spreadsheet) and it is very simple. If you have real numbers in front of you it's easier to see where you specifically need to cut back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in NJ Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 My husband works hard to provide for the family and never complains about the way I spend money to take care of the house, kids, groceries, etc. However, I feel it is my job to be a good steward of the money and make wise purchases. I think that I'm doing my very best to save money, but when I read all these posts, I realize that I could be doing so much more. You are a great wealth of information! Keep the ideas coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 To keep money from going out: We do not have cable TV, we do not have land line phones- we use our cell-phones after 9pm and on weekends for long conversations/free long distance. We try to only talk to people that use the same service provider during weekdays (free mobile to mobile). To save money: we shop at thrift stores for clothes, buy new clothes/shoes when on sale, try not to drive very often to save gas, most of our entertainment is here at home- we occasionally go out for something but we all prefer being at home, don't eat out very often, I wash two loads of clothes that are the same type/colors and dry them at the same time- that saves electricity, I cut dryer sheets in half and they still work just as well as a full sheet, I don't add a lot of detergent unless the clothes are REALLY filthy (kids playing in mud). I have a few vegetable plants this year, we'll see how they turn out. I don't decorate our home, I hate clutter and knick-knacks, I hate dusting too LOL. My husband does all of our automobile maintenance and repairs. I have put energy saving film (bought at Lowe's) on the windows that face the sun all day, to keep the house cooler. I use baking soda to clean most things, it always works very well. I try selling things on Craig's List, but haven't had much luck here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) .. Edited March 23, 2013 by 3kt68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I forgot about line drying. I hang just about everything except undergarments and socks. I do laundry one day a week. I load up the dryer with our undergarments, rags, napkins, etc. and run it once when all the laundry is done. Everything else line drys. I do towels and sheets in the dryer as well since I don't have the space to hang sheets to dry. I wash everything in cold water. I limit the kids to 15 minute showers. We use a timer. They would stay in there for an hour if they could. I cut down the amount of meat we eat and stretch the meals with more grains and vegetables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann@thebeach Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 We never had cable until we recently moved to our current house-we had to get it if wanted internet-grr But normally, I would say-cut the cable! Other things we do: -no call waiting or extra phone services -increase insurance deductibles as appropriate -shop at Aldi's (discount food store) for 75% of food. We'll hit Costco once every 2 mos for bulk items and another big box store once a month for items not at Aldi's. This has saved us a TON in grocery money. -thrift stores/hand me downs for clothes -buy most homeschool supplies used -don't eat out or ever go to movies! Wait for the rental... -DH does most our home/car repairs/oil changes/etc and has a father who is quite handy too so that has helped save a lot of $ over the years. -save bigger ticket items for Christmas gifts from parents/in-laws My parents and in-laws typically spend about $250 per family each yr (even though we insist they spend less!) Since I can't change this and don't want a lot of little things I think of bigger items like a zoo memberships or other larger items such as new sheets, small appliances, pots and pans set, etc and tell them that would be a great family gift. It's FINALLY starting to work and cuts back on crappy cheap toys and gets us something we really need. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 One thing to generate $$ (esp. if you live in an urban/city area) is to sign up w/ all the marketing survey groups in your area. They will call or email you if you fit the intial parameters of the survey & ask you a few more questions to see if you qualify to be a part of the study. If you are part of the study group, it is often for 1-2 hours for varying amounts of $$ (often $50+). Sometimes you can do surveys like things for diapers where they will give you a week or two supply & you fill out info for them. It's not steady income, but is a nice little extra every once in awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 -save bigger ticket items for Christmas gifts from parents/in-laws My parents and in-laws typically spend about $250 per family each yr (even though we insist they spend less!) Since I can't change this and don't want a lot of little things I think of bigger items like a zoo memberships or other larger items such as new sheets, small appliances, pots and pans set, etc and tell them that would be a great family gift. It's FINALLY starting to work and cuts back on crappy cheap toys and gets us something we really need. ;) I'm finally going to ask for specific educational items from our families for Christmas gifts this year, and gift certificates for clothing instead of them buying clothes for the kids. They usually buy fancy and cutesie clothing that our kids just don't need/wear. I am really hoping this will work, and we won't come home with a carload of excessive junk toys/clothes that won't be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veronica in VA Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 We have had lots of expensive things happen lately so we have had to get stricter about budgeting. To not spend money out of pocket: Use the library more often Drive very little, try not to go many places Use some free coupons for date night and treats - http://www.moneysavingmom.com Last week we had free coffee from Borders, for instance Changed our credit card to a rewards program. We get free books! I have cut the sides of my hair since college, but had to go to the salon to have the back of my hair trimmed. I have a teenage daughter now and hand her the scissors! Keep warranty information along with the receipt for small appliances. My coffee maker of 5 months just broke. Since I kept everything I was able to take it back and get a new one for nothing. To reduce money going out: Check ads use moneysavingmom website (above) for coupons and ideas try to shop only sales for food use the thrift store for clothes Repair what I can I work part time at a CSA to harvest veggies and get the CSA program half price. The veggies are so much better and I am learning a lot about gardening I do have my own smaller garden Bake from scratch, mostly, but have a few easy to make foods set aside for days when I am not in the mood to cook much. That way we don't order out. Shop around for insurance. I just saved $2000 a year in car insurance switching and our coverage is better. Generate income: I work part time other than at the CSA - about 8 hours/wk I do occasional surveys sell on Craigslist and I need to do this again - I have some stuff I need to clear out! I am considering signing up to be a mystery shopper. Veronica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in NJ Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 Set my printer to photo paper after the ink cartridge is empty and it works again! I never knew this! I tried it and it works!! Thanks so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in NJ Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 Everyone has such great ideas! KSVA, you have managed to save money in every single area! Amazaing! I like all the ideas about cutting back on internet and cable. I just learned that our phone company has a $9.95 package that offers about 40 some channels. This would save over $50 a month from what we currently have. Thank you all for suggesting the cable/interent for an instant savings. I decided to just give the phone company a call and see what they had to offer. The savings is significant over our cable company. And, NO installation fees! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomofSeven Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I've read about this for a couple of years and finally decided to give it a try. Once you get going and accumulate those Special Reward Dollars, the saving adds up. -Planted a bigger garden this year. -Only buy clothes at garage sales. -Buy Christmas gifts at garage sales. The kids items may be used, but for family and friends, they must be new. You'd be surprised how many new items are for sale at garage sales. -Try not to turn on the air conditioner (unless the humidity becomes unbearable) -Never go to the theaters. As a family we do go to the drive in during the summer. We take our own pizza and make it a fun night. -Go to parks with our bikes and rollerblades (both bought used) -Do our own landscaping (most folks in our suburb hire landscapers) THIS IS A NEW ONE : ASK AROUND. I've started shamelessly asking to trade services. For example, I'm babysitting for my daughter's dance teacher so my girls can attend their class for free. This spring I started asking for friend's garden cuttings and have managed to fill an entire flower garden with what they gave me. Today I'm going over a friend's house to pick cherries. I simply asked her if she had too many and she said come on over. I'll take some of my garden lettuce to thank her. Finally, generating money is tough since I'm pregnant with cancer and have six kids. I did babysit at our church and hope to start that again in the fall. It brings in about $40 a week which will go towards my older two children's tuition. I also applied for a Disney credit card to start saving money toward our dream vacation. Once in a while I'll put something on Craigslist, but usually I just give things away to friends from church. We've been given so much, it just seems like the right thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 If your utility bills are high, figure out how to lower them. I was looking at the Mr. Electricity website last night (http://michaelbluejay.com) and it gave a lot of ideas. Great website. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 A few things which work for us: Eat vegan. Meat and dairy are expensive around here. This also keeps us out of the doctor's office (another major financial drain). Drink water only, unless dh is feeling generous and decides to buy juice. He buys tea occassionally. Drinks really add up. Kathy My dd really wants to be a vegetarian. I think it is time for me to do some research. Thanks for the idea!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 (edited) A few things to add to the above lists: *day-old bakery -- for buns, and in-between sandwich bread when I've not made homemade. I bought 40 individual size bags of goldfish for $2 the other day at Pepperidge Farms. Much better than Publix's BOGO. ;) *no dryer -- ::sigh:: I use my dryer now, but when I first quit work to stay home, I hung everything out and it made a huge difference in our energy bill. *free summer movies http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/ *substitute healthier, less expensive foods: popcorn rather than chips (made in my Stir Crazy; not expensive, fat-full microwave kind); water rather than juice; homemade white sauce rather than cream soups in casseroles (quick and easy). *to keep from eating out (my big downfall): double or triple meals and freeze for the busy days; keep a couple of easy, quick meals on hand -- for us, soup and grilled cheese, breakfast for dinner *2 or more inexpensive vegie meals as weekly staples: beans and rice, breakfast for dinner, quiche, summer vegies and fresh bread are our favorites. *buy and freeze meat when it hits the lowest price: turkeys at Thanksgiving (you can ask the butcher to cut even a frozen turkey in half), hams at or after New Years, corned beef in March (though my family isn't keen on corned beef). I just cooked a huge turkey and so far we've made 2 dinners, 6 casseroles, lots of sandwhiches and stoup for several meals out of that one turkey. *give away what you don't need. Cast your bread upon the waters and . . . it will return to you. There is just a principle of generosity and blessing I've found that when I freely bless others with our hand-me-downs and such, we get blessed in return. HTH, Lisa Edited June 2, 2009 by FloridaLisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 My first attempt is to set the printer preference to best quality and that extends the print cartridge life...then when that fails I use the photo paper one. I'm so glad it work for you too. Those things are expensive! I never knew this! I tried it and it works!! Thanks so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I use freecycle when I need something new, I have gotten sewing stuff, kids clothes and furniture(bookcases mostly) from it. Thrift shops have been a wonderful treasure trove for us. I buzz the boys hair myself usually 3 times for every 1 trip to the barber shop. I cut bangs on me and the girls and put off the hair dresser for as long as possible, and when we do go we hit the walmart hair salon rather than a pricier one. To earn money, I plan on taking my bazillion bags of baby clothes to the consignment shop to sell, and then will use the store credit/cash to buy what my kids need next fall/winter. I bartar with others for things like babysitting, lawn care services (my neighbor boys do my mowing for example and I do odd favors here and there for their family), etc This becomes a free win win for all involved. Even extra lessons for the kids I bartar services in place of registration fees to kee the costs down, baseball I work bingos, gymnastics I clean the club (3-8 hours of cleaning (depends if I bring in extra help) equals 1 full season for 1 child, worth it imo) Music/art/drama lessons I volunteer at various events they put on etc. This is a huge money saving thing for us with 4 kids in various activities. Of course not every place while bartar like that but it never hurts to ask. We borrow video games, movies and books from the library. We also participate in their free activities to boost up the fun we have. All of this is free of course unless we owe fines. In the summer I hit many many garage sales getting new things for the house, or items for school(like books and craft supplies) for next to nothing. My dad has always recorded tons of shows on tv each night to watch when he has time. I cancelled cable and now just borrow his tapes after he watches it. I am usually a week behind in them, buit I get to see all my favorite shows without the cost of cable each month. We attend a family camp in the summer(27 days until we go), for a week that is free and donation based. To keep costs down the families take turns with things like washing dishes etc. I often help run the preK bible classes through out the week. We get a week with no cooking, listening to the word, and playing in the creek as a family reconnecting for free. It is the only vacation we every take. I am sure there is more but I can't think of them off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 www.bradsdeals.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 We cut our boys' hair too. For our girls it is pretty much a no no to cut theirs. It's just my dh thing. Although my sil did cut our 6 year olds hair a while ago. Somehow I slipped that one in. And with 9 girls it could get costly!! We are not using our AC this year. It's in the 90's today, so far so good! Trying to stay home and not use gas as much. Our garden is lots bigger than normal. Those types of things I guess. I just can't seem to find any other place to cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.