Ideas on Saving Money

Conslidate your home ph line w/internet etc. Make it a bundle or at
least price it out.

Watch your utilities: turn everything off, don't leave anything on, unplug
cell phone plugs when not in use etc.

Eat out twice a month (use coupons if you find them)

We only have lights on in the room we are using (living rm or kitchen etc)

Cancel magazine/newspaper subscriptions

Shop your car insurance to make sure you are getting best, cheapest
deal. Don't go w/a total no-namer company though. Also, found
2 popular ins co to be overly expensive.

Don't go to warehouse for all of your itmes. Ex. I don't buy my veggies @
Costco anymore as I can find it cheaper at groc store.

If I need candy (like for Halloween), I go to the Dollar Store.

Don't go the closest place for gas as it may be the highest.

Cancel Netflix & rent movies from Redbox kiosk type places

Make cheap food that stretches to feed a family: lasagna, spaghetti etc

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Two things I have begun doing now that I was laid off:
1. Shop at the Dollar Tree - not for everything, obviously, but many things I would have paid lots more for at WalMart or Target. They have mroe stuff than you would think.

2. Shop consignment stores, garage sales and CraigsList for my son's clothing and toys (even stocking up on Xmas toys.)

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You really need to track your spending to figure out where your money is going. I suggest that you and your hubby take a week and write down EVERY transaction. Even if it's getting a soda out of the vending machine, write it down! Then, at the end of the week, sit down together and figure out where the money is going out.

Make a budget and stick to it.

For grocery shopping, be sure to always take a list and set a spending limit. Try very hard to stick to it. For instance, if your food budget is $75 a week, don't allow yourself to exceed that amount. Bring $75 in cash to the store and leave all cards and checks at home. You can make a game of it...and if you go under that amount, you can put the change into a "treat jar" to use for a special monthly treat or outing. The more you save, the better your treat. :o)

ETA: To do this, it really helps if you have a calculator or are pretty good at math. Don't forget to add in tax.

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Downsize - move to a smaller house.

Also - I know pet lovers/owners are going to hate me for saying this, but if you own a pet (especially a dog, but even a cat), get rid of it! Dog/cat food is very expensive, and forget about the vet bills - that will make you broke very quickly. Seriously consider selling your house (if you own a house) and downsizing. Good luck!

Cut back on eating out.
Once or twice a week doesn't seem like much but it adds up to be a lot.
Go out to eat once every 2 weeks or once a month.
We do it about 4 times a year now and we don't miss it like we thought we would.

VAseline is a great all over moisturizer for you and baby and dad.
Olive oil conditioiner (just a bit)
Clothes swaps with friends -- what you are sick of, is a treasure for them and visa versa.
Book swap with friends
Cut your own hair
drink lots of water and less soda and juice etc.
shower instead of bathe
hand me down clothes for kids
lots of homemade soups in winter

The best thing to do is to track all of your spending. We felt like we were so frugal and there is no where to cut, so we started tracking our spending... every single dollar. We made a budget, then put what we spend and where we spend it. We've only been at it a week (started in November) and already we're seeing where our money is going...LOL It's a real eye opener. They have fancy programs for this and we used Excel but in reality all you need is a notebook and pen. =) Good luck! BTW~ if you stop eating out for a month, you'll be surprised at how much you save. We haven't done that yet but we've cut back and were surprised.

We've really been able to get our grocery bills under control by doing one big shopping trip once a month. (We do go again mid-month to resupply milk and fresh fruits and veggies, but that's all.) It took me a few months to get the hang of what I really needed to buy, and how much, (and we do have a deep freezer) but we're spending $100-$200 less a month on groceries. It forces us to eat what we have, instead of making lots of little special trips to buy ingredients for what we feel like eating that night.

Do you already make your lunches every day instead of eating out? And do you make your own coffee instead of getting it at Starbucks?

We only eat out once a month, sometimes once every two months, maximum. When we go out for the day we bring lunch and snacks.
We only buy clothes and shoes we need. Almost no clothes or shoes for me and husband - we only buy for our daughter when she gets bigger!
We have a budget for everything, keeping track of everything that goes in and out - you'd be surprised what you spend when you say things like, "Oh, it's only $2, $5, etc."

I just sat down and tracked our spending for the last few months (I use my debit card for everything so it was all in one place). MAN what an eyeopener that is.

We don't go to eat at fancy rest. anymore and we only go out a few times a month but it was the subway/Wendys/etc. runs between activities that really added up for us. $350-500 a month. YUP... a couple of times a week, plus maybe a decent ($60-70) sit down eat out meal a week. Needless to say that has stopped.
I just started cutting coupons and I now will not buy anything if it's not on sale AND if I must have an additional coupon for it. Think of it as a game.. rather than a punishment. Make it fun!

-make your own cleaning products (vinegar is cheap)
-we bought clippers for $20 at a drugstore and cut our kids hair ourselves...and it really looks good! You can't tell the difference.
-plan out menu's for the week for smart grocery shopping
-stock up on dry foods that are on sale (canned items, pasta, etc.)
-get a controller for your thermostat, turn it down when you're out of the house for long periods.
- Rather than go out to eat twice a week (which gets expensive) plan for a date night once a month...get a babysitter and go out w/ your husband OR just make a really good meal which can be better and much cheaper than going out.
- try tracking your money with something like mint.com, I just started doing this and it's really eye opening to see where your money is really going! No more coffee shops for us!
-take advantage of inexpensive activities through local rec dept. /library
-reuse items...I get lots of toys and clothing from other moms and it saves me a lot

even cheap places to eat out add up. I would make ALL meals at home. At first , seems like you are spending more, but you can really stretch a buck if you plan things out. Additionally, when eating at home, one tends to eat somewhat more healthily in that you know what is in your food.. Additionally, you save in the long run with better health... Also, Winter is upon us, it's easy (so easy) to want to turn up the heat, but before you do, consider putting on a sweater... as for daycare, in some states, you can write off that depending upon the commute you have to make.. you may want to look into that.. Also keep in mind, the more you can pre-plan your meals, the more you will save... this includes coffee.. NEVER buy it out, that is IF you drink it... that too will eat up your money..
Consider selling any lightly worn clothing that is wearable to a consignment shop. I used to have all kinds of lightly used boy's clothes.. most consignment shops buy seasonably.. so they will probably be looking for warmer clothing.. this includes adults..

best to you and yours

Yes, stop eating out so much. How much do you spend when you go out? Although it's possible to eat for less, I find that we usually spend a minimum of $10 per person, but the average is more like $15. (BFF and I went out tognight for a simple meal total $31 including tip). So look at it this way, your family of 4 goes out 2x a week - that's $100, that could be your grocery budget for the entire week.

Do you know where your money is going? For one month keep track of every penny you spend, at the end of the money review your list, you'll be surprised, and you'll easily be able to see where you can make cut backs.

Are you the type of person who stops every day or a few days a week for coffee, or picks up a beverage at the drive thru or conveniece store? Bring a beverage from home. I rarely leave the house with out my refillable bottle.

Do you belong to a warehouse club? Consider joining one. The amount of money we save in one month pays for the year's membership fee. However, be aware that many items cost less at a grocery store. You don't need a membership to go in and look around and compare prices.

Groceries - Eat what's on sale. Plan your meals around the weekly grocery flyer. Shop at more than one grocery store, each store has a few of those weekly specials to get you in the door. Stock up when it's on sale. Use coupons. Buy store brands. Do a search on this website, there are great posts about cheap meals. Know your prices.

Phone - many people have dropped their land line and just use a cell phone, this may be an option for you. What type of cell phone plan do you have? Do you have all the extra's that you may not need?

Clothing - consignment shops are great for kids clothing. Shop those clearance racks - just today my BFF bought her adult son a pair of $20 shorts for $2, and I bought a $10 t-shirt for my teen daughter for $1.20 at Sears

Use credit cards - (if you don't have a balance) I save 5% at Target, and 15% at Kohl's just for using my credit card, make the purchase, than turn around and give them the cash to make a credit card payment, or go home and make a payment online. We get a $30 BJ's check every other month, just for using our BJ's credit card.

Utilites - Turn off lights when not in use, unplug appliances when not in use. Hang up cloths to dry, rather than using the dryer. Cut shower times. Turn down the heat, even 2 degrees can make a difference. Purchase a programable thermostat. We keep the house cold at night, and the heat turns on 1/2 hour before we get up, then gets turned way down when we're at work and kids at school and goes back on 1/2 hour before we come home.

We like to go out to eat too, but it definitely adds up. We switched to going out to breakfast because it's cheaper. The kids like getting a muffin (which at Panera or somewhere equivalent is around $1) and we can all start out our day together and on a fun note (we only do this on weekends though - usually once a weekend). Good luck!