Cost-cutting

I have been a SAHM for the past 8 years and will never go back to the corporate world. It is soooo nice to be here when the kids need me and not here "you don't have enough sick leave or time off for that, get your husband to take a day off." Congratulations on your "new" life!!

There will be rough patches, but you WILL get through them. It is just adjusting to one less income. Find things to do at home such as sewing, reading a good book, crafts, etc. We also do not have cable or dish..just regular antennae with the new box converter thing. We also subscribed to Netflix, which is only $25 for us now and we may adjust it when the school year starts to only 2 at a time rather than 4 at a time.

One thing I just discovered and will be trying out is a device that has been out there forever for those "monthly" times. It is called The Diva Cup or Moon Cup and I found mine for about $15.00. I will not describe it here but check it out and see if it is something for you. There are different varieties out there so make sure you read up on it. I am also making my own "nappies" for that time as well. I have not made my first one yet but just the idea of never buying anyt of those products again just thrills me. Not only I am saving my money but I am also not adding to landfills any more.

Cut back on your A/C and don't use the dryer in the summer. The 100+ heat dries clothes within 2 hours for me :0)

I am sure you will get lots of other advice, but the mean thing is be happy with what you have and thank God every day that you are able to stay home and focus on your family.

With His blessings!!

J. S.

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I've found some great web sites for savings. Hope they're helpful!

www.thegrocerygame.com
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/ Check out CVSing 101 - huge savings!
www.couponmom.com
http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/

Good luck - saving money can be a fun game!

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What my sister did (and what I wish I had done, if I had known about it, years ago!) was she and her husband took Financial Peace University, which is a very cheap 13 week once-a-week course offered at many churches in the area. (Our church has it starting on Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m. on 7 Sept for example.) It totally gets you and your husband on the same page and working as a team (no matter WHERE or who the money comes from) so that when your income goes down, you are on a plan so that you don't go into debt because of just not being used to the new amounts, etc.

http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/ Here is where you can put your zip code in and find out where a close place is!

Good luck!

D.
http://www.cherishbirth.com

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Cloth diapers will save you alot of money. Especially since you have a newborn...you could probably save thousands of dollars before the little one is potty trained. I can help you figure it all out if you need help. And I have everything you need if you are interested.

A.
www.greenbabydiaperservice.com

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Homemakerscottage.com has some great frugal living tips :) Also shopping for consumable products for free each month can save your over $100 a month :) Visit www.LiveTotalWellness.com/Texas to request information on the program.

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My biggest suggestion is first off a budget. WRITE what DH makes and your expenses and STICK to what you've allocated in each area.

Next, www.thegrocerygame.com can save you hundreds of dollars if you can choose to stick to it. Just taking the time to plan will in turn save you money. Think of it as one of your "jobs" that by saving 50$ at the grocery store that week you just made $50 for an 1.5 of your time.

Also, plan your trips together as much as possible to save gas money. Those random trips out really add up the gas usage and the more errands you can get done at once the better. Also, there will be less spur of the moment spending. I.E. I ran to Target to pick up a 12pack of Cokes but wound up seeing some way cute clothes on clearance that I didn't need and spend another 40$.

With those coupon cuttings you can also find deals on alot of restaurants. This way you already have a general idea of how much you will spend going out to eat and you can have it budgeted. Skip the drinks at the restaurants, they really add up. Almost 2$ each, plus tax, plus tip on top! Was it really worth it?

So, if anything I would say plan, plan, plan. Plan everything.

L.

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C.,
Congratulations on your new baby and being able to stay at home. I have been at home this past year with my new baby and after being a working mom for several years, it is so nice to just be on "baby time." Although I am going back to work soon--my husband and I agreed to only one year as SAHM--I have some tips. Definitely check with your car and home owner's insurance to find cheaper rates. Check into a possible "bundle" package of cable, phone, internet, etc. Eat as many meals as possible at home. We agreed early on that we would only eat out two times per month. It's gets a bit old eating at home every meal, every single day, but I actually find it quite spiritual that I made a nutritious, inexpensive, filling meal when I sit down to eat with my family. Go to the library and check out some cookbooks--someone else's meatloaf recipe might be better! I used to take almost all of my husband's clothes to the dry cleaners and now I iron almost everything myself. I recently discovered the grocery game and since I all ready was a huge coupon fan, I have enjoyed "the game." Be careful shopping at Costco or Sam's--that has occasionally blown my budget. I also vowed not to buy my baby anything unless absolutely necessary. I had saved my older son's clothing, my sister sent me all of her son's old clothes, so we were set with clothes--I have not bought him any clothes this entire year! Also, find a children's resell store and start taking newborn clothes now! They usually offer more money for store credit and you'll be surprised at the good quality and cheap prices. I took some baby items last week and found school clothes for my older son. Many also sell toys and other new items. My previous employment held a diaper dump shower prior to baby's arrival--I did not have to purchase a single package of diapers for 8 months!! For his first birthday, I told everyone to buy him diapers or wipes (my mom and sister were the only ones who listened). I hope that you are breastfeeding because obviously that's free. I feel blessed that I didn't have to buy one can of formula (I donated the free ones from the mail to my church). I was worried about Christmas, but my husband and I made a point to focus on the important things and what was really meaningful to us. I tried to tell myself that Jesus only got three gifts, so that was all my older son needed. We only bought things that he truly wanted--not what we wanted him to have. I taught myself to sew and made stuffed animals for my nieces and nephews. I made and gave away a lot of food-type gifts and other home-made items. It was the best Christmas ever. Even though I am returning to work, most of these changes are permanent changes. The quality of our life is so much better and with these hard economic times, we're all in the same boat. Hope this is what you wanted and that I didn't ramble too much.
Best of luck.
E.

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I have read all of the entries and I must say, I am VERY impressed with the suggestions, many of which I will implement myself. Just one word of advice... be sure you do not get so overwhelmed with trying to save a penny or keep a clean house that you neglect just loving on your children and your husband. When I stopped working outside the home and being home all the time, I noticed dirt and dust in areas I had not noticed before. I became obscessed about cleaning. Don't worry about having a "perfect" home (if that actually exists). My mother was a SAHM with 5 kids and my memories of her are of her always "working"... scrubbing floors, washing clothes, dishes, cleaning. When she got older she told me that she had a lot of regrets about that and that she wished she had played with us kids more. My house hasn't been the neatest home on the block, but my kids have told me that I'm a "really great mom" and compliments don't get any better than that!

If you get to a point where you feel you need to make some extra income, try working at home. I make a living at home helping people find affordable medical care and it's great. No products to sell, No cold-calling and it pays daily with health benefits and a 401k. Here's my website. http://www.HomeMommy.biz . Keep it handy for later reference.
Best Wishes ~ N.

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I think the best advice is to do a budget and stick to it. Make sure you have an emergency fund in place and live debt free. Check out www.daveramsey.com

Do a weekly menu for your family and use it to make your grocery list each week.

Use cloth diapers and wipes

Buy gently used goods whenever possible. Start shopping for your kids stuff at consignment sales. I consign stuff & shop at the Just Between FRiends consignment sale in Ft. Worth every year. Their fall sale is coming up the 1st week of September. If you want to go you can send me an email and I can arrange to give you a card that you take to the sale to be entered in a drawing. Also, consider checking out the goodwill for goods. I have found some awesome deals there.

All the other ideas I had about cutting coupons, cutting non-essential expenses like cable, combining shopping/errands etc. have already been mentioned. I also second joining freecycle!

Good luck and congratulations. I am thankful that I have gotten to be a stay at home mommy the last 3 years. I have loved it! You may want some grown up company for yourself and playmates for your kiddos soon. If so, check out the mom's group I am a member of. It is at www.meetup.com It is called the Arlington Mommy Meetup and the organizer is Erica Lawrence. We do lots of free or low cost stuff and there are always multiple activities each week to choose from.

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Use Grocery Game it is a wonderful way to save money. On Tuesdays the ads come in the mail, I keep them for the week. When it is time to go grocery shopping I make my weekly meals around what is actually on sale at the grocery store. Then I go through the ad and buy the misc. things that I NEED at the store that is on sale. (I only go to two grocery stores, and I do it at night once my daughter has gone to bed. This way my husband can watch the baby, and I can get two stores in under an hour). I know the layout of the store, and I do not buy anything that is not on my list.

I have a 2.5 year old and worked up until about 6 months ago, the only way that I was able to stay at home was to cut down to one car. We now only have one payment, which is very nice. Sure it is a little rough in the beginning but I got used to it. We take the truck one day a week, we drop my husband off at work, run errands, play, and pick him up. This saves us TONS of money.. Again a huge sacrifice, but it is well worth it.

Good luck, and congrad's.... you will love staying at home, it is very rewarding

www.WorksofaWink.com
photo announcements and invitations

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Without knowing you personally, it's hard to know exactly which ways you can cut costs... But there are tons of things you can do. Pay close attention to sales ads and coupons. You can price match your sales ads at WalMart. WalMart is also generally less expensive on non-sales items than other stores like Albertsons, etc. There are websites where you can watch gas prices, too, and fill up when the gas is cheap, at the station where it's the cheapest. Always make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are full, instead of small loads, because ut will use less water and electricity that way. And you could check into a membership at Costco. A lot of their bulk is less expensive (again, pay attention to prices, b/c they're not always they cheapest). Stock up when you can if there's a good sale...
Those are just a few ideas. There are also websites specifically for moms looking to cut costs. I believe one is http://frugalmoms.com and maybe http://miserlymoms.com
Good luck!!

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I have several - but I want to turn you on to livingonadime.com, Hillbilly housewife, and everyday cheapskate.

I also want to make you - and every other mom on here - aware of the fact that wal-mart price matches competitors ads... so when I'm making a menu and going grocery shopping, I collect the ads for the stores in my area and write down the store and the price (it takes about 20 minutes). Then I go to WalMart and shop - I write wal-mart's price if it's cheaper, and leave the grocery store if it's not.

Then, in line, I separate Wal-mart from competitors and let the clerk know I've got competitor pricing for these ____

It works with the grocery game, too - you just have to have the ad.

S.

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Two sites that I love for things we need are craigslist.org and if you set up a yahoo account join the local freecycle group. Freecycle is where you pass along things you no longer need or want to someone who needs it....free. And you get things you need/want free. I noticed others put some great websites below as well. Just get out a notepad and make a list. All are great and fun to look at when the kids go to bed. If you are in the Keller area check out The Storehouse Resale shop. They carry everything from clothes, furniture and more at a great price. Good luck and have fun!

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I agree on rags and washable plates definitely. Also making weekly dinner plans rather then day to day. You can make the entire list and go strictly by it at the store. You can also make sa 3 meals on a Sunday, one for that night, one for the next day or Tues and one to freeze for Thurs or Friday. Make them large enough there will be left overs for you to have for lunches and/or the nights between. Have your husband drive the car that gets the best gas mileage since you won't be driving near as much. Either way you'll be cutting down on gas costs though. Another thing you'll have to keep in mind is that now you'll be home all day so utility bills will probably go up, but you can try and make the most of daylight rather then using lights and turning the thermostat a little higher or keeping the tv off if nobody's watching it. Little things really add up. Last summer our ac bills were over $400 and so this summer I've really cut back on lights and tv, and tried to keep thermostat at 80 during the day and we haven't had one over $275 this summer!

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Congrats to you! I did the same thing after we had our second. It will be a tough year ahead, so be sure you schedule in some "me time" and "date time." If you could stick to even a loose schedule or routine with the 2 yr old, it should help you stay somewhat sane :-)

Big stuff:
Definitely take this time to shop your rates on car and homeowners insurance Also see if you can get a better deal on things like phone, cell phone, internet and cable.

For groceries:
You could try something like grocery game or refund cents, but I found I didn't have time to plan like that when I had my second. Also, because we buy a fair amount of organics or "all natural" type of things, I found that the things we typically shop for don't usually have coupons, etc. Instead, we make a weekly menu for family meals, use that to guide our grocery list, then take the weekly grocery fliers to Walmart where they price-match. The day the ads come in, I take about 20 minutes to look them over, then I use sticky notes (one for each store's flyer) to note the items on my list and the sale price. Just stick the sticky note to the appropriate ad and you're ready to go when you get to the check-out.

Entertainment/getting out of the house:
Get your local library story time and activity schedule and post it on the fridge. Completely free entertainment that your toddler will love and learn from, and it's an easy way to get out of the house. Check your city parks & rec department too for local events and even inexpensive classes for your toddler
There are any number of random things you can do that are free or inexpensive too. Sonic Happy Hour, local ice cream shop, visit a fire station, watch local high school marching bands practice in the morning (if you have a newborn, you're likely up well before 8 anyway :-), play at the mall play area, load up the double stroller and take a walk in the mornings.

And last, but certainly not least (in fact, this is probably the most important thing that helped us live off of one income during the 2 1/2 years I was home after the second was born) -- get a budget plan. Take a look at your income and litterally assign a dollar amount for all possible expenditures. This means alloting a weekly amount for groceies and weekend enteratinment, as well as a monthly allowance that you set aside for Christmas, auto repair/maintenance, clothing, etc. This really helped us make every dollar count. Even now that I'm back to work, we're staying on the same spending plan.

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Just make sure that you cook at home as much as possible.
There are tons of websites out there for frugal tips. Grocery Game. Coupon Mom. Cut your cell phone min. Call your ins about your rates. Or compare them to another company.
Good luck and have fun.

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Wow! Everyone has great ideas! We are doing the Grocery Game (www.grocerygame.com), and it is GREAT!!!!

I decided to call our credit card companies one day and try to get our interest rates lowered. I was AMAZED when one of them gave us 0% interest for one year. I'd asked to speak to a supervisor, after the rep. said they couldn't lower it any more. We also always pay on time and pay a little more than the minimum. Anyway, once the supervisor got on the phone, I asked what I could do to lower my interest rate, and she offered the 0% right off. I could hardly believe it, but I am so grateful. What a blessing! So, maybe try that.

Making a menu definitely helps, and you can have the kids help with it, too, by looking at the recipes with you. Plus, it keeps you on track at the store.

Best wishes!

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I didn't read through all the responses, but did a search and didn't find these sites:

http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ - Texas woman who is living on $800/yr with her three daughters.

Hotcouponworld.com - great resource for finding deals at stores (they also have an organic equivalent for people who prefer organic foods)

I use Couponmom and The Grocery Game too. GG costs money and some people say it's not worth it, but I've found deals through them that I haven't found elsewhere. If you do the trial, make sure you store up several weeks of coupons before starting as you'll see better results.

I reduced our family's grocery bill costs by more than 60% using these various sites. I have a year's worth of FREE paper towels stored in my garage by using coupons with a store sale. I will never pay for toothpaste or pain medications again. I wish I had done this years ago!

Good luck!

S.

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Menu planning has helped us tremendously. It not only helped me figure out what I needed from the grocery store, it helped me through the "It's 5:00, I'm tired & I don't know what to fix for dinner" routine. I just looked at the chart, & knew all the food I'd need was there. I recently started the with thegrocerygame.com & it's changed the way I buy groceries & planned meals, but it's working out well. Good luck!

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Someone has pointed you already to Dave Ramsey. I second that. His book Total Money Makeover may be more encouragement than you need to live debt free (you didn't mention debt being a problem) but his ideas on all things financial and budgeting are stellar. Reading his book and planning a budget with your husband can make this journey a lot of fun in ways you never imagined. I even in my "old age" (I'm retired) am budgeting for the first time in my life after thinking all through the years that it wasn't important or wouldn't work. Well, it does and it is actually a lot of fun to know where your money is going to go each month and meeting the challenge of making it happen.

Good luck. I applaud your decision to stay at home with your little ones. You may be exhausted at times in ways you never imagined, but you will never look back and wish you had not made this decision.

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Good for you. We decided the same thing. Some things that I have done are I called my car insurance company and told them I am now a homemaker (to save a little money there). I went from DirectTV to Dish Network (cheaper but DirecTV is better), I am now cutting coupons, I canceled our Blockbuster movie deal, I turned off our home phone because we never use it, and turned our cell phone plan into a family plan, and I try not to go too far because of gas prices. I know its not much, but every little bit helps. Good luck and congrats!

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C.,

What a blessing that you are able to have the option to stay at home with your kids. That's wonderful!

I have a skin care, health and wellness company. All of our products are pure, safe and beneficial. We have everything from detox to anti-aging skin care to a wonderful baby line to cosmetics to weight loss.

There are a lot of stay at home mom's who do this business. You can do it when it's convenient for you. It would give the opportunity to stay at home with your kids as well as bring some extra money into the house.

The start up cost is only $29. That's it! There's no kit that you HAVE to buy.

If you'd like more information please let me know.

Take care and God bless!

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check out thriftymamas.com

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You got a lot of good advice here! I can't really add too much ... I do like to shop Walmart. Also, like has been mentioned, buy generic whenever possible. Good luck!

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Walmart will match prices on their competitors ads within a 50 mile radius of the store. Get yourself some post-it notes and go through the grocery fliers when they come in the paper on Wednesday. At the top of the post-it write the name of the store, then write the price of the item - and size if necessary, then below that write the name of the item. Stick those to your grocery list. When you go to Walmart put the note on each item you buy as you put it in your cart. Then at checkout it is a quick and simple process for the cashier to match prices. Take the fliers with you in your purse for verification if asked. Usually each store will have a few loss-leaderr items that will save you money. Plan your weekly menus around things you can buy on special. You can easily shave about $20 a week this way. And you will have fun seeing how much you didn't spend! Use your coupons at stores that will double them and buy ONLY those items.

Happy shopping!

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http://www.thegrocerygame.com/
The grocery game can save you a ton of money if you are flexible on what you eat. I'll never cut another cupon again after doing it b/c we don't have to any more, but it made staying home my first year possible. It's a bunch of work but may be worth it.

Also, it's random, but oatmeal is super cheap. It's great with rasins and brown sugar mixed in. The big tub of oatmeal that feeds our family for two weeks is right at $2.

Rice, Beans, Potatoes are all super cheap too.

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Cut coupons, watch for sales. Also make a meal plan and stick to it. It really helps when you know what you have to buy when you go to the store, instead of playing the guessing game. Also if you can, buy in bulk for things you use all the time, and just go to the grocery store for your fresh items, like milk, bread, eggs & vegetables. I buy my meat in huge packages, but cut them down to meal size and freeze them. I can get hamburger in 10 lb packages for $2.10 a pound instead of in one pound packages for $3.99. It really helps.

Good luck and I'm so happy for you!

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If you call your auto insurance they will give you a cut for being a stay at home mom because you're not driving to work everyday.

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You sould check your car ins and home owners ins and get new quotes. We left Geico and went to AIG Direct and got a better policy and saved $260 for a 6 month policy. Then our INS lady, Lisa Nickels, saved a over $200 a year on our home owners ins and she got us a better policy. She also found us a better motorcycle ins policy that saved us $40 a year, but is a much better policy. She can do all that for you. And if she can or can't beat your current policies then she will send you a $20 gift card to Chili's/On The Border/Macoronni Grill.
LISA NICKELS INSURANCE AGENCY
150 WESTPARK WAY, STE. 320
EULESS, TX 76040
OFFICE: ###-###-#### EXT 222
FAX: ###-###-####
You can tell her that L. Kazen refered you.

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use less laundry detergant by cutting the amount to only 1/2 or 3/4 the recommended amount...skip the fabric softner (it's not good for your health anyway)...use vinegar water to do most of your cleaning, once it dries it doesn't stink...water by handheld hose instead of auto-timed sprinkler and/or at least the right time of day, early early morning...don't flush as often (if it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down)...hang jeans, towels and other heavy items instead of using the dryer for everything...run errands by geographical location of stores...drive slower, and let up on the gas the minute you see the light ahead turn yellow, slowly build up speed when you go...keep daily change for garage sales, and consider shopping for clothes only on clearance (buy summer clothes that are on clearance, for next summer)...any kid clothes that are unstained and in good condition, sell on craigslist.org or at Kid-to-Kid...Find a friend that can provide hand-me-downs for the kids...look on-line to learn how to give the family their haircuts...handwash the vehicles, for excersice...drop any cable or extra television stations that you are paying for...use up products that you already have, and buy replacments as you find coupons, but do not use coupons for items you would not 'normally' buy. Shop at Wal-Mart for the best prices, and use competitors ads for even better prices.

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Lots of great advice!! One thing that was a huge money saving change for us when we made the choice for me to be a SAHM was the cell phone. This was really hard but it saves us $1200 per year. Get a Tracfone it is a pay as you go cell phone service but if you only use it for emergency you can save $1200 plus per year. I spend $42.00 every 8-10 weeks on buying minutes. All of my friends and family know only to call my cell phone when it is an emergency. You have 2 kids now so you should not have much time to talk on the cell phone. Another idea if you have a home phone check into getting a basic line with unlimited local and long distance we switch to a basic line with unlimited local and long distance, Call waiting, caller ID and it saves us about $25 per month. I also swear by Target brand diapers they are $13.49 per box. vs $27.00-$30.00 per box for name brand. Good Luck with everything!!

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Hi and congrats on your decision!!! Lots of people on here have suggested you use Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University. I have been through FPU and while it was very helpful, it was absolutely no different than what Mary Hunt of "Debt-Proof Living" has been saying for much longer and her stuff costs much less. First thing, I would buy her book (go to www.debtproofliving.org) and then subscribe to her monthly newsletter. There are always tons of tips on how to save money in each issue. I've been a charter member of the newsletter since 1992 and I learn something new every month. FPU costs about $100 I think. Mary's newsletter (you can choose hardcopy or online copy) for $19.95 per year I think. Her books are usually about $14-$20 depending on which one you buy. So already you've saved about $60 by using her instead of Dave Ramsey. I highly recommend it all. If you follow what she says, just like Dave Ramsey, you will be sitting pretty soon financially even though you are no longer bringing in an income. The other important thing to remember is to not get overwhelmed with it all. Use www.flylady.com to keep your house clean, babies happy, and on a routine you will learn to love. This way you are organized and your home runs like a newly oiled wheel everyday....smooth and quiet with everyone happy most of the time. Good luck!

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Dont buy anything that is not on sale if you don't need it that much. I try not to buy anything that is not on sale or that I don't have a coupon for. I just go right by normal priced items and straight to the sales. I usually save about half of what I would have spent. (i keep my coupons in a sheet of baseball card holders and used a label maker so everything is alphabetized) Use recycleable items for craft projects (popsicle sticks are good for all kinds of crafts, newspaper for paper mache, etc.) Garage Sale, Garage Sale! You can find tons of useful items for cheap. And since you will be home more shut off lights if you aren't in the room, and if you are going to be gone all day shut the airconditioner off. Use your 2yr olds clothes for your newborn. And if you are looking to homeschool join a homeschool association.

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Hi C.,
I am so excited that you were able to do this. I have stayed at home for the last 5 years with my 2, and I wouldn't trade that time for any amount of money in the world. I think the best things we did to save money were to cut our home service phone off just use our cells. That alone saved about $90 a month. We also switched to a different electric co from TXU to stream. We are now a fixed rate of .11 per kilowatt, which saves us about $40 a month. We also brought our satellite to the bare minimum, but i have a friend that turned hers off completely, and now they only have the locals...I couldn't do that...but she says she doesn't even miss it. That could save as much as $50 per month. Also, just clipping Sunday coupons will help too with the food. After a few months of adjusting, I think you will not even miss the extra $ you had coming in, and heck to pay for 2 kids daycare costs an arm and a leg. Good luck and God bless...H.

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Hi C.,
Best wishes for your new effort. There are a million ways to cut cost, this day and age two of the best are on gas and food.
Make as many runs as possible all in one drive. Plan your meals ahead so one trip to gro. store is all that is needed, even milk and bread keep longer then you think if in the frig.
Close the vents in your rooms that you are not using, this saves on elec. in summer. heat in winter. There are hundreds of good recipes for stretching your food. Don't buy ready prepared food, it is expensive and not as good as what you make yourself. If you don't know how to cook from scratch you can learn. Don't do laundry if you don't have a full load. I learned early that towels do not have to be washed after every bath. Hang them up to dry and reuse. Hope this helps. B.

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Make extra money by getting rid of some un-used items around the house. The state of TX allows you to hold a yard/garage sale 2X each year without having to claim it as income. If you maximize this effort, you can really make a "killing".

My mom was a WFHM and did just that by doing the following:

Get a couple of friends to go in with you on the sale. This way you can split the cost of the add(s). Also, the sale is not over after you hold it once. Haul all the stuff over to the next friend's home the next weekend and the third friend's home the next.

After these three weeks, you will be surprised at how much it will add up (some of the same people will come to all three sales and may even buy at all three, but different people will come too).

This set of sales can actually count as ONE of your TWO sales for the year. After 6 months, repeat the process for your second of the two.

I recommend keeping a box handy at ALL times to catch the discards and store them in a designated place. Also doing the sale in the spring and fall each year so the weather is not to hot or cold to allow the kids to play outside (for easy watching) during the sales.

Hope it helps and allows you to continue staying home during this crutial time in your little ones' lives.

Blessings,

P. <><

Utilize the public library for books, magazines, DVDs... Combine cell/land phones, computer lines under one plan... walk/ride a bike/home exercise equipment... plan weekly meals/grocery purchases... utilize the crock pot!!!

turn off lights when brushing your teeth/taking a shower... plug in a bathroom night light.

a few suggestions.

I just started doing the Grocery Game and I love it! I've saved about 50% off my grocery costs so far. Check it out at www.grocerygame.com!

You can also use containers instead of ziploc baggies. Things like that add up if you use a lot. One thing that has helped me to save money is to plan menus. Every week I sit down and plan menus for the entire week and then make my grocery list. I only buy what's on my list and it saves me from impulse buying at the grocery store. It takes time to sit down and plan, but it is worth it. Also, take advantage of your library. They offer books (of course), but also movies and music. It can save you money if you are used to renting or buying movies (and books for that matter.) Congratulations on getting to stay home! It is such a blessing!

Hi C.,

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I'm a single mother on 1 and with one income. It may seem crazy or expensive at 1st, but it does strecth my dollar. I do the majority of my shopping at Costco. The gas for one is always cheaper then anywhere else and when you buy in bulk, your saving on quantity and taxes. I also cut coupons and check the weekly sales at Kroger, Albertson's and sometime Tom Thumb. Target is a good option as well. Depending on what your buying, they can be cheaper then Wal-mart. You will just have to compare and decide which places work for you. Hope this helps.

I know it's a little "late" (I've been out of town for a week), but I thought I'd add my thoughts. One thing we've done to keep costs low is to have only basic landline phone and the slowest speed of high speed internet with AT&T. I personally don't like AT&T, but it's been the cheapest I've been able to find. We also don't have cell phones, which is a little inconvenient sometimes, but it works for us. We don't have cable or satelite, just whatever comes across the TV without it.

Wal-mart does price matching, so we get adds from different stores and we can take them to Wal-mart to get the best price. We live an hour or so from Dallas, so this really helps us. We can get adds from places like Sprouts (they have REALLY good prices on fresh fruits and veggies a lot) and we can take our adds to Wal-mart and get everything at once (Saves on gas) for the lower price. If you don't get adds from the stores, a lot of times you can call them and have them sent to your home.

Buy the Sunday paper on the first sunday of the month- (unless it's a holiday) that's when the most coupons are included. Eat out only occasionally- and sometimes on Tuesdays- lots of places have special deals on tuesdays. turn up the AC 1 degree (unless you feel like you are dying or baby is uncomfy)turn down the heat 1 degree and add a sweater. Compare prices- sometimes diapers are cheaper (per diaper) at Toys R Us over Sams or Walmart (depending on the brand- the parents choice is the cheapest that worked for us, but we use Luvs at night- less expensive than huggies/ pampers- but good leak control). Formula at Sam's is less expensive-(and their store brand is great- less bubbles meaning less gas, than Similac)

Enjoy movie rentals from your local library sometimes. Join a mother's playgroup- lots of ideas of fun money saving activities and this will help keep your sanity!

When you do get a chance to go out to eat always use coupons, or go on a kids eat free night, or just share a dinner entree.

One of the tricks I use when shopping is take one last lap around the store and make sure what I have is really something i want to buy. I usually always put something back after I decide I don't need that extra clutter in my house.

And soon you will be getting all kinds of invites to kid's birthday parties. I always keep toys and books that I find on clearance in the closet to just pull out and have ready. For cousins and friends that I know we will be going to their birthday though the year, I always buy during the after Christams clearance.

And join a MOM's group. Everyone else is a SAHM and park playdates are the best free entertainment around!

Fifteen years ago, we went from two incomes to one rather unexpectedly. That was the first year my husband's income had actually surpassed mine, so we lost 49% of our income but none of the debts or other financial obligations. It was very tough, but we made it through. It has taken a long term toll on us though. Our daughters were teens then and I'd always planned to work.

I like the idea of getting some financial counseling to make sure you and your spouse are on the same page. We learned that we have entirely different ideas about money, keeping a checkbook, financial planning, etc. I like to plan; my husband doesn't. I like to have a record of what I'm spending money on; my husband likes to take out cash and pretend he's Diamond Jim Brady.

For a while, I set up our online banking records to download into MS Money (I've never learned to use Quicken and don't care for it), so that I could see where our money was going and where we could cut back. I found out we didn't have a lot of fat. Most of our money was going to fixed expenses like mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc. It was good to be able to analyze the data though.

I agree that learning to cook from scratch is a huge benefit. It doesn't have to be drudgery. It's actually fun to create. If you keep basic staples on hand (butter, milk, eggs, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, etc.), you can make just about anything at the drop of a hat. It tastes better. It's fun. It's less expensive. I used to borrow cookbooks from the library and go through and write down recipes I liked. The Mormons have a tradition of putting foodstuffs and household supplies by to be able to weather disasters. I found one cookbook that had recipes for making stuff like bulk quantities of hot chocolate mix and biscuit mix. I also learned to can and freeze food.

You can get a 9 cubic foot chest freezer for just over $100. You can probably find a used one for less. We like to shop the "used meat" section of the grocery store. That's the section where they discount the meat that is approaching the sell by date. My husband is especially good at finding bargains in the meat section on top cuts of meat. It's all perfectly good and you can freeze it when you find a windfall. The best time to check is after the weekend on Monday or Tuesday. It will vary by store. People have done their weekend marketing and the weekly specials are ending, so the manager is clearing out the shelves for the new ad that comes out on Wednesday.

I also check the clearance section of stores for discontinued items. I love to go to Big Lots and check out their close out foods. It's a big treasure hunt! the 99 cent only store has some good bargains on staples like pasta and sauces and beans. They've added a freezer section and produce section that sometimes has good stuff. They've got soft drinks and bottled water and cleaning supplies.

One key to the whole process is that you need to make your cost cutting as painless as possible. A sacrifice is something that is done willingly. If you start to feel bitter or resentful about having to give something up, it's not a willing sacrifice.

A practice I've developed is to listen to our household in between paychecks or shopping trips. If one of us has been longing for something we don't have, I try to make sure that we get that item. Sometimes it's a new pack of razor blades. Sometimes it's a Whopper with cheese.

I also love to go to the thrift stores for books and housewares. They are terrific for children's clothes and business casual wear. Some carry used furniture and appliances. You may need to do some checking around to see which stores seem to have the stuff you need when you need it.

Attitude is soooo important. If you're feeling deprived, it's not going to be a treasure hunt or an adventure. If you feel you're depriving your children by buying them used toys instead of brand new, it won't work. If you like finding bargains for a fraction and you know how to spot quality construction and do a little bit of fixing up, it will be unbelievably satisfying.

Oh, and think about planting a garden. I like to rescue near dead plants and take them home. There are also plenty of people who love to share divisions or seeds from their garden with like minded people.

Dont be scared to buy not name brand foods they are almost always the same you can save alot watching the little things.Find a good rice and beans dish your family likes and make it once a week you will save some cash there...Avoid eating out.

Do you know how to cook? Like from scratch, not mixes and boxes? The Betty Crocker (red table cloth looking cover) cookbook is really good, and it has basic things in it.
You can get a can of spaghetti sauce for $1 and noodles for about the same, then 1/2lb of meat, and there is a $5 dinner. Don't forget the 50cent can of greenbeans.
That can save you a ton.
I tryed to keep dinners down to $5 a day and the entire day down to $10. (that was when I had the same # and ages as you, now I have 3 kids)

I didn't see anyone recommending "Vonage". About 2 years ago, I went through a major cost cutting exercise and cut out the satellite tv and the home phone. I signed up for Vonage because I wanted to make sure there was a phone at home for when a babysitter came over (so that they could dial 911 if necessary). Ironically, most of my babysitters DO have cell phones, so I probably don't need it - but it makes me feel better knowing there is still always a telephone available.

-L.