Dedicated to my friend Bonnie, with whom I completely agree that most of these lists from "experts" are ridiculous. ;)1. Plan your grocery list and menu with the newspaper, and be willing to stop at more than one store. The first should be obvious, but the 2nd takes a bit more planning and work (and I know isn't always possible due to time and distance). My mom always used to plan her menus with the newspaper advertisements, reading carefully to learn what was on sale where. You will inevitably need to buy some things each week that are NOT on sale, but if you plan your menus as much as possible to line up with sale items, you may be surprised how much easier it is to stick to a budget! These days you don't even have to spend the money on the paper in many places--I get the grocery ads free by mail every week.
2. Use coupons and store loyalty cards. Coupons are a mixed blessing, in my opinion. They can save you money, but they steal away your time instead, reading through stacks of worthless coupons for those few that may be of benefit to you. If you have the time and patience, however, there's no doubt that you can save quite a bit using the coupons. The benefit of store loyalty cards depends on where you live. Some of them are useless. Some of them allow you to get sale prices on things, and may even save you on gas. We use the Winn Dixie card, for example, and are usually able to fill up our van at least once a month with a savings of around $1 off per gallon of gas. This is a typical monthly savings of at least $17 for us! I know Giant Eagle stores have a similar program. Check to see what your local stores offer--it usually costs nothing to obtain a grocery loyalty card.
3. Learn ways to stretch, reuse, and save food after you buy it. Talk to other thrifty mamas or check one of the many recipe or grocery savings websites--they have great ideas! You can stretch your milk budget by purchasing whole milk and watering it down. You can water it down as much as half and it will taste just like one or two percent milk. Yes, you are spreading out some of the nutrients too, but most of the nutrients in store-bought milk are already artificially added back anyway. You can also freeze store-bought milk, if you ever see it on sale. Invest in a freezer, if you have space for one, and freeze leftovers too. I know many families who make large quantities whenever they cook and immediately freeze portions for later meals--viola, homemade "convenience" meals for the microwave! When you plan your meals, try to think about what you will do with the leftover potatoes or chicken or whatever in the next meal. We've started buying rotisserie chickens (because they are actually cheaper than raw whole chickens!), and shredding the leftovers to use in chicken burritos or tacos.4. Farm your own food. This one should be obvious, yet somehow many money saver articles fail to mention it. You obviously can't garden large scale if you live in the city, but you may still be able to grow a tomato in a pot on your balcony, or have a small herb garden. If you live in the suburbs, you need to check with your HOA before you buy, but if you have the patience and rules allow it you may want to think about purchasing a couple of chickens (for eggs) or a goat (for milk). Plant a fruit tree or grow a small vegetable garden in your back yard. Use pots, if necessary. And don't forget to look around your neighborhood when you are out running errands--sometimes businesses will have nut or fruit trees on their property that are neglected. If you ask them, some may allow you to come and harvest the trees in exchange for keeping it neat! It's a win-win, since you get free produce and the business doesn't have to pay for someone to clean all that up when the tree drops its harvest!
5. Another tip that should be obvious yet rarely seems to appear on the mainstream savings articles is clothing choice. Learn to ignore fashion. Seriously. If you are constantly trying to keep up with the latest fad, you may as well attach a vacuum cleaner to your wallet. But don't be fooled into thinking you will save money shopping at stores like Wal-Mart, which typically have very poor quality. Spend a little more to be sure you have well-made clothing, but then wear it forever. If it stains, try to fix the stain with cleaning or coloring or bleaching. If it tears, sew it up. If you lose a button, start a button box (new buttons are much less expensive than a new shirt, and used buttons cost nothing--so don't forget to clip off the buttons before you throw away a worn-out shirt!). Yes, eventually it may wear out beyond repair, or get a tear that is too obvious to be fixed, but if you have good quality clothing this should take several years at least! Better still, don't buy new clothing at all. Thrift shops and consignment shops have become very popular these days. Home yard and garage sales can be treasure mines for quality used clothing. These are especially good resources for children, whose sizes change on what seems like sometimes a daily basis! Don't forget to save outgrown clothing, if you have younger children. I wouldn't force a boy to wear his sister's clothing, or a girl to wear her brother's, but same sex children may actually love wearing a loved older sibling's former outfits. Remind him how much older brother loved that spiderman shirt, and it will be even more special to him.6. Before you buy a car, look carefully at the expenses. A used car will save you money on insurance and purchase price, but if you are constantly pouring money into repairs it may not be worth it in the long run. Weigh carefully, and research brands to see which ones hold their value and don't need as much repair in the long term. Don't forget to check mpg values, with the price on gas soaring! Shop carefully for insurance also, and check with your agent every year or two to find out which items can be reduced or removed (especially once the car is paid off, if it was under financing). Then once you have the car, of course, don't forget the obvious benefit of combining errands and car pooling. Even one trip you save by sharing a ride with a friend is money in your pocket!
7. One thing I agree with the "experts" about is to look at your entertainment budget. What, you don't budget for entertainment? You really should. Track what you spend on entertainment in a month--if you aren't budgeting it, you may be spending a lot more than you realize. Internet can be argued these days as a need rather than entertainment, especially if you have kids in the house--they use it for school, communication, research, etc. So personally I wouldn't count that. But if you have cable TV, that's entertainment. So is Netflix. So is money you spend at Redbox and other movie rental places. So is that "smart" phone--you need a phone, but it doesn't have to be smarter than you just to make calls! "Stupid" phones are usually much cheaper--ask your cellular provider. Going to the movies, bowling, zoos, theme parks, plays, museums, shows, carnivals, even sports or dance lessons if it's purely for the fun of it--all entertainment. Prioritize, and set an amount you can spend each month, then stick with it. Personally I believe you should try to keep at least one physical entertainment like sports, dancing, swimming, bowling, gym membership, etc.--it's exercise, which is good for you!! I would try to budget at least a little bit to do one or two FUN things each month too, if you can. It doesn't have to be a lot--renting a movie or attending a local parade or show can be inexpensive. But we need such fun things in our lives. If you still feel chained to the house, try to create a game club--remember when people used to visit each other just to play cards? That's a tradition well worth reviving, and the expense is very minimal.
8. Use every trick in the book to save money on heating and cooling costs. Sure, everyone knows about turning the a/c up as hot as you can stand it in the summer, and turning the heat down as cool as you can stand it in the winter. But have you checked your doors for drafts lately? Weather stripping is inexpensive, but makes a HUGE difference in how much of that temperature-controlled air gets away from you! You can also purchase or make "snakes" to lie at the bottom of doors to stop that draft. Windows should seal tightly; if they don't it may be time to reseal or replace your windows. If you can't afford new windows, you can buy inexpensive "shrink wrap" to seal off your windows in winter--as someone who used to live in North Dakota, I can assure you that it makes a huge difference! If you live in a hot climate, be sure to have good blinds and/or heavy drapes to close out the sun during the day. If the window doesn't get direct sun, sheer curtains are good enough to block part of the heat while still letting in some natural light. Also be sure to check your attic, and if/when you can afford it ensure that you have adequate insulation and ventilation. It will make a difference in the long term.9. I hate to mention this, because I love having pets too, but another big way to save a LOT of money is to limit your pets. Veterinary care has become outrageously expensive, just like everything else these days. But if you own a pet, you should care for them well, and not skip this expense. Try to find an affordable vet and food that is acceptable quality without being unnecessarily gourmet. You may be able to save by making your own pet treats and purchasing some medications and things online or through a pet superstore. But the best way to limit this expense is to set a strict limit on the number of animals with which you share your home. Our limit is two; we have cats. Decide what kind of pets you like and what an appropriate number for you will be--it won't be the same for everyone, and of course large animals cost more than small ones, but give it careful consideration and don't be too easily swayed by that adorable face in a pet store window!
10. And lastly, learn to do more things for yourself, or live without it! Yes, this includes making your own meals instead of going out, and brewing your own coffee (and adding your own flavored creamers) instead of buying the insanely overpriced coffee shop coffee. But I am honestly surprised at how many people I've met who are struggling financially yet take regular trips to the hair salon, nail salon, or other places that to me are luxuries. I've been married for 25 years and in all that time have been to a hair salon maybe 5 or 6 times. I learned to cut, color, and even perm my own hair when we were first married. Cutting may not work for you if your hair is layered or thick, but the coloring or perming is really not that hard, I promise! If you want a facial or painted nails, buy the materials and do it yourself! Granted you won't have cute designs painted on your nails, but personally I'd rather have that money for other things. And unless you need it medically for chronic pain, skip the massages too. Yes, they are wonderful--what luxury isn't? You can live without it.
