kristinannie Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 We are trying to save money right now because we really need to. We have canceled our gym membership, canceled Netflix (I was going to do that anyway), got rid of all premium channels on our cable bill, obsessively turn off lights and rarely use the a/c. Any more ideas??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Shop sales at the grocery store use coupons where you can (print online so you don't have to buy newspapers and use cheap, cheap paper and draft setting on printer) plan meals for the week based on sales in grocery stores plan trips in advance to consolidate driving and save gas look at cell phone plans and see if you can go to a less expensive plan BBQ if you have a gas grill (propane tanks last a long time) since it's summer Eliminate paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils (if you use them) Stockpile items when they're ridiculously cheap and you have a coupon check internet, phone and cable packages to see if a cheaper offer is available - if you have exceeded your current contract (ie. you're off contract time), you can usually get the offers for new customers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hang laundry to dry. Do all ironing at once, instead of turning the iron on each time something needs ironing. Switch to CFLs. Seal up all draft points. Raise the A/C temp or lower the heat temp a couple of degrees. And then there are tons of grocery ideas. Good luck! Lots of small changes will add up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Can you cut cable and get antenna T.V? I know some places can't pick up antenna T.V. Along the lines of obsessively turning off lights and things not in use, we also hang dry as much laundry as I have the time and energy for to save using the dryer. Cutting grocery bill by shopping Aldi, and learning to coupon for whatever I can is what has made the biggest difference in our budget this year. Also, cooking from scratch as much as possible. Flour and sugar can make bread, cake, cookies, pancakes etc. much cheaper than buying mixes for those things if you don't already do that. We do a garden in the summer. Some years it really gives us a lot of fresh veggies and fruit and saves a bunch. Some years it is not as productive (like this one!) Look at bills like your phone, internet, and insurance policies. Sometimes there are charges for things you can do without for awhile. (Like towing. We once cut that from our insurance to save a few bucks a month, and things like caller i.d. or other things you might not be using on your phone bill.) You can cut a home phone line and just use cells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa3033 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I was going to say cut the cell phone too. As nice and convenient as cell phones are, they truly are convenience luxuries. The vast majority of us here can remember a time without them. Get a cheap house phone plan and a cell phone that is for emergencies only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Call up your phone/internet/cable providers and tell them you have to cut your bill, what can they do for you. My grandma does this every 6 mns and she pays less for more services than I do. I need to make a call soon. Hang clothes on a line, wash in cold water When you run your dishwasher, turn off the heated dry and open it up and pull the racks out to air dry Put appliances/computers/tvs on power strips and turn them off when not in use Bump your a/c up and your heat down. Last month we had a bunch of 90+ degree days, yet my electric bill was lower than last year for the month doing the above measures. About $75-100 lower despite being significantly hotter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymotherof4 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 The # 1 thing I can think of is to know where every penny is being spent and then see where you can cut back. Look at your grocery bill. Did you buy paper towels or expensive cleaners. You can clean almost anything in your home with some combo of baking soda, vinager, dish soap or ammonia. Look up the recipes. Drive less and make the most of your trips. When you pick out food be flexible. Yes you need fruits and vegetables but find the cheapest canned (no sugar or salt added), frozen or fresh. Don't waste food. We now buy more frozen veg because it is easy for our family. We make the right amount, it doesn't go bad. When you need something look for a creative solution rather then just buying something. Use freecycle. Start soon making Christmas gift or finding cheap food ideas to use. Sell stuff you don't need anymore. Over the years I have done different things depending on the need but it is hard to give suggestions without knowing what you spend your money on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 http://theprudenthomemaker.com She's amazing, makes it all so beautiful and is encouraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 (edited) I was going to say cut the cell phone too. As nice and convenient as cell phones are, they truly are convenience luxuries. The vast majority of us here can remember a time without them. Get a cheap house phone plan and a cell phone that is for emergencies only. Although for some cell phones might not be cheaper, I know that for us it is certainly cheaper to have cell phones than a landline, unless we did something like MagicJack, but definitely look at what your monthly charges are for and evaluate them. My recommendations would be to drive less (save gas) and figure out how to do multiple outings in one trip to also save gas. Learn to make-do and don't buy new unless it is cost-effective, and make your own from something you already have whenever possible. For example, my husband really wanted one of those desks where you stand up. He studies several hours a day and his back has been killing him. We didn't have the funds for that, so he just took a bunch of sturdy books on top of each other on a set of cabinets and put his laptop on top of it. Easy peasy and cost him nothing (rather than 100s of dollars). We also decided to go paper-products free, and I wanted cloth napkins, but didn't have the money in the budget for that. So I took some of my husband's old button-up shirts and made some rather nice-looking cloth napkins from the fabric and we still use them now, 3 years later. Decrease gift budgets for birthday and Christmas. For Christmas and birthdays, we use swagbucks and the rewards we earn from our Amazon credit card (paid off monthly) exclusively. We earn a few hundred dollars a year by these resources alone. I also try to be very careful in what I buy to try to make sure it will last. Quality over quantity. Shop online to avoid sales tax, especially Amazon, which often has comparable prices on necessities as regular stores (although you can't really coupon with them). Always look for a coupon code online before you buy something from a store, and use rebate websites such as ShopAtHome and Ebates to earn a percentage back on every purchase at many online retailers. I've saved hundreds of dollars doing this by booking things online like our Uhaul or plane tickets, as well as our daughter's bunk bed. I do it for much smaller purchases as well. Just last week my husband needed a specific pair of pants from the Gap (he was the best man for a wedding). With shipping ($7), it was going to be $47.00. However, I figured out that if I added in a belt that we liked and he needed ($20), it would put us over the minimum for the free shipping, putting our total at $60. Then I found a coupon code that took off $10 from a $50 purchase, bringing my total down to $50 even. This means that just by doing a little finagling, I was able to get the $20 belt for $3. Plus I got 3.5% back on my entire purchase by going through a rebate website. So just by finagling, I was able to save my family a sizable amount of money, and this is not uncommon in my experience. Don't go out to eat, or if you do, do it very sparingly. My husband and I have a date budget of $20/month. That's our "fun money." It's not much, and if we want to go out to eat, we have to save up for more than one month, but we still do get to go out, and I think we appreciate it more. That's all I can think of at the moment that hasn't necessarily been said already. I hope some of it helps! Edited August 11, 2011 by MeaganS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 (edited) Switch to CFLs. /QUOTE] What does that mean? Edited August 11, 2011 by kristinannie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Sit down and make a budget! That is the first thing to do. I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) to stay on track, but there are other programs too. Some ways to cut without "hurting" may be: 1. Stop eating out 2. Stop shopping (have a set amount for yard sales and thrift stores only) 3. Cut all extras like convenience foods, soda, pre-made items 4. Realize needs vs. wants. It is amazing what you can do without. 5. Cell has been mentioned 6. Cut home phone or get Magic Jack or Ooma 7. Cut cable TV 8. Lower internet service/speed if you can 9. Combine trips out to save gas. USE CASH ONLY!!!!!!! Dave Ramsey's envelope system WORKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Switch to CFLs. /QUOTE] What does that mean? Maybe I called them the wrong thing, but those twisty fluorescent bulbs that replace regular bulbs. I won't use them in lamps that could be knocked over by the boys or dog, but I do use them in ceiling fixtures. The ones in the bathroom haven't been replaced in over 5 years. And they use less energy, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 You might consider cutting your cable off entirely and keeping Netflix instead. Probably cheaper. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Sit down and make a budget! That is the first thing to do. I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) to stay on track, but there are other programs too. Some ways to cut without "hurting" may be: 1. Stop eating out 2. Stop shopping (have a set amount for yard sales and thrift stores only) 3. Cut all extras like convenience foods, soda, pre-made items 4. Realize needs vs. wants. It is amazing what you can do without. 5. Cell has been mentioned 6. Cut home phone or get Magic Jack or Ooma 7. Cut cable TV 8. Lower internet service/speed if you can 9. Combine trips out to save gas. USE CASH ONLY!!!!!!! Dave Ramsey's envelope system WORKS! I'll agree with this! Make your budget with what you're spending now. Then create a budget with how much you want to trim off and DO IT IN CASH. We go bare bones for a lot of things: -no cable. We get 8 channels free and use the library system. -turning off or unplugging ALL appliances at night. Even in sleep mode, they suck power. We cut the tv, dvd player, game systems, computer...everything. -pay as you go cell phones. Every two months dh and I top off with another 10Euro each (about $30) -utilizing drying racks instead of our dryer for most things. -buying in season fruits/veggies instead of ones flown in from hothouses. -making our own seasoning packets. Have you ever seen The Tightwad Gazette? It used to be a newspaper then was turned into a set of books. If your library doesn't have it, ask them to interlibrary loan it. There is a wealth of information in there from cutting your water heater during off hours with a timer to how to reuse grocery bags different ways. It's about 10 years out of date but still valuable. Attempt a no-buy month once a year at least. Dh and I are starting this in January. Christmas will be over and it gives us a chance to just enjoy what we have without thinking we "need" more. We've trimmed our shopping habits already by following the "one in, one out" rule. If we want to buy something to keep in the home, we must get rid of something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Attempt a no-buy month once a year at least. Dh and I are starting this in January. Christmas will be over and it gives us a chance to just enjoy what we have without thinking we "need" more. We've trimmed our shopping habits already by following the "one in, one out" rule. If we want to buy something to keep in the home, we must get rid of something. Curious about this. Do you literally buy nothing this month? No milk, fruit, vegies? Or are you talking about non-food related items? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Curious about this. Do you literally buy nothing this month? No milk, fruit, vegies? Or are you talking about non-food related items? We limit ourselves to plain food (no eating out, no prepackaged snacks) and gas if necessary. We have ration coupons over here for gas so I pick up a 100 liter book (about 26 gallons) each payday and we usually end up with a bit extra to save for long trips or (hopefully) the no-buy month. The only other thing that comes out of our account are bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Eat more beans and lentils. Buy dry instead of canned. Eat lots of eggs. Get all meat from the sale freezer. The stores here put their meats on sale in the mornings. Definitely worth a trip to the store in the am. Buy foods that are on sale and plan meals around those. For example, I buy old bananas, freeze them and then the dc use them in smoothies. I don't buy bread or cereal, except for bulk oatmeal. Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. I use them for shampoo and rinse, too. Make your own laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. (If anyone has a liquid dish detergent recipe, I'd love to have it!) Don't turn on the oven or crockpot on days when the a/c is running. In the summer, we keep our home a tad warmer than most people. In the winter, it's chilly in the house. Putting on a sweater is cheaper than turning the heater warmer.:D As a pp said, plan for a low-key Christmas. Have dc make presents, decide now not to go overboard on presents for dc or other family, if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Have a yard sale. Keep Netflix and get rid of cable tv. Make a budget. Don't eat out. Use cash and the envelope system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Stay home. Boring advice but it means no meals bought, no cute things picked up, no gas spent. While you're home make a budget. On your one planned errand day swing by the library and pick up a Dave Ramsey book ( for a big picture) and The Tightwad Gazette ( for a philosophy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I agree with this to a point, but you also jogged my thoughts on doing the following: Find the FREE days at your local museums and events. Most of our local museums have free days or afternoons and we have utilized all of them so far. I have also found a lot of very cheap things to do in town.....we have a "$1 theater" which is really $2, but still very inexpensive. We also have $1 skate night at our local skating rink. Dawn Stay home. Boring advice but it means no meals bought, no cute things picked up, no gas spent.While you're home make a budget. On your one planned errand day swing by the library and pick up a Dave Ramsey book ( for a big picture) and The Tightwad Gazette ( for a philosophy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 http://theprudenthomemaker.com She's amazing, makes it all so beautiful and is encouraging. :) Great, there goes my morning...(awesome site!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 We cut off our home phone and just have a data line for internet. Since we already had cell phones, it only made sense. It saves us $40 a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 :) Great, there goes my morning...(awesome site!) I was going to post her site! LOL She is a lady I know from another board I'm on. She is a wealth of information. She has a garden that is amazing and they live predominantly off their food storage. Learn some handcrafts too, crochet, cross stitch, etc. They really come in handy for gifts and such. You tube is a vast place of 'how to' videos, thus negating the need to run to the library to find a book on it (besides I've found it much easier to actually see someone doing it than read about it). Here are things we have done: -No cable or basic TV-kept internet though because of schooling. -Used library for movies (we keep netflix now-but haven't had regular TV in years) -kept cell phones, dropped house phone-it was actually cheaper with only 3 cells instead of 2 cells and house phone-the land line here is still useable for 911 though. -hang laundry -grow a garden -shop ONLY sales and stock up on the really cheap items we used -started a 3 month food storage doing that as well so that when we were really tight, we still had things to eat. -visited the good thrift shop that ran monthly sales to get gently used clothes -eat less meat. -learn to use dried beans-they can really stretch meals. -turn the a/c up and the heat down. Your body will adjust. -check craigslist for things you may need -use coupons for things when you can -learn how to make those 'eating out' meals that may be your favorite. There are copy cat recipes online for just about anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 We are trying to save money right now because we really need to. We have canceled our gym membership, canceled Netflix (I was going to do that anyway), got rid of all premium channels on our cable bill, obsessively turn off lights and rarely use the a/c. Any more ideas??? Cancel your home phone service, use phone jack (just $20 a month)..I would cancel all cable, get an antennae for local channels and add back in the Netflix ($8 a month for streaming) and you can do it through your xbox... Use Cash only for all food expenses, put them in envelopes...do not use your bank card or credit card for misc. expenses..hold yourself accountable! We found over a thousand a month by doing the above things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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