Sahm - Miami,FL

I'm a newly stay at home mom myself and one of the ways that I find we can save money is by using cash for monthly budget items. For example, I have a grocery cash envelope and I am very pleased with how much we have been able to minimize and control this expense. By using cash, I am forced to get creative and smart about grocery shopping - planning every meal and snack, and researching produce and meat sales.

Second, I have reviewed every service that we pay for and figured out which I can do myself. For example, my husband laundered his dress shirts and pants. Now, I wash and iron them. It's a lot of work, but it saves a LOT of money. I also learned to cut my husband's hair.

I found that by staying home, I can keep the house and our money in much better order compared to when I was working. And to keep my mind active, I've started a blog on this very topic. Check it out - http://hollandhomeinc.wordpress.com/

7 moms found this helpful

E., this is another idea in addition to everyone else's. Don't buy any sodas - put lemon in your water instead to give it some taste interest. Water is healthier for you anyway, and will keep you healthier to save you money on doctor bills. (If you weigh 120 pounds, drink 60 ounces of water every day.)

This way, you won't be jonesing for sodas because you'll be well hydrated. I bet if you figure how much you spend on sodas or high-fructose juices, you would be amazed.

Good luck!
D.

4 moms found this helpful

Don't eat out. Breakfast for dinner with eggs, pasta, etc.... can save.

Cancel anything you don't really need. Smaller phone plan, newspaper, HBO, clean your own house and let it be a little dirty. Stop buying "things." Find other couples like yourself and instead of going out on Saturday Night, enjoy game nights alternating homes. You will save on clothing because you don't need work clothes anymore. Consider babysitting on occasion to bring in a few bucks, or dog sitting.

My husband and I went through this in 1989! It was tight, but it was well worth the plunge. Things got better over time.

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First, evaluate what you can do with out. Before you buy something, ask yourself...will I really use this? Do I have something else that will do the same thing? (For example...who really needs a panini maker, or an egg fryer, or any number of gadgets, etc.)

Then, evaluate what you can save on without coupons, first. I literally took a notebook with me around town for an entire day and wrote down the prices of things I buy from every store, every brand, etc. Then I made a list of where I should buy each item and what brand...so if I'm going to Target for my monthly trip, I know what to get there, versus the few things I should wait to get at WalMart, etc. Believe me, I save a TON of money by just splitting up my shopping. I also use coupons, but here's a tip...only use coupons for things you would be buying normally, even if you didn't have the coupon. Sure, a dollar off of a Jimmy Dean's Breakfast Bowl sounds like a great coupon, but would I buy it otherwise? No, and I can get eggs and sausage for the same price as that one bowl and make four breakfasts instead of one meager one. Just an example.

Other easy saves...use cold water for washing your clothes. Only do large loads. Use cloth napkins instead of paper (except if you're having something super sloppy.) Don't use paper plates, plastic utensils, etc, unless you're having a birthday party. I know these are all little things, but they add up.

And congratulations, by the way! Enjoy it!

3 moms found this helpful

depending on how many of your own children you have, and your patients and abilities, maybe take on one child for a few hours a day to help with costs. Its better than those huge cookie cutter day cares and many parents want better one on one care. I found craiglist for slightly or never used clothes can cut down on costs. I like name brands but being a Sahm the budget doesnt allow for it. SO I get them from consignment and freecycle and craigslist. You get burned occasionally but then my kids have some of the best play clothes on the block LOL. I dont go out to eat, I coupon alot, and I do wholesale A LOT. I get a group of friends that want basically what i want we pool money and get large quantities. I buy whole animals for butcher and put that in deep freeze. Some of these things require a large chunk upfront but def save you money in the long run.

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Make meals from scratch every night - no buying out. Usually this means planned meals and planned shopping trips. Don't buy lots of snacks or drinks - we only eat apples, bananas for snacks (sometimes other fruits) and only drink water. Make sure lights/computers are turned off when not in use. Turns your a/c to a warmer setting so you don't use it as much (use fans if you need to). Limit how much you drive around places to save on gas...combine it all into one trip if you can instead of going a few times a week. Make sure you budget and keep tight control on spending.

It sounds like if you are a crazy couponer, you're good! These things above are the only other things I could really think of that we do. Congrats on being a SAHM. I love it. Hope you do too...and that it all works out financially!

ADDED: Just read the comment below - great points. I agree with canceling anything you don't really need. We used to have pest control, canceled that. We wanted to get rid of our security system, but we're in a contract for a while, so we can't. With TV, we use Netflix and Hulu Plus (total of $16). Just stuff like that...

3 moms found this helpful

Hang dry what you can. The top 4 energy suckers are ac, the oven, the refrigerator/deep freezers and dryers. Switching from dryer to hanging saves us 120 a month! Some areas also have cheaper power rates at different times of the day. Meaning it will be 10 cents per kilowatt hour at one time of the day and then a dollar an hour at a different time... You have to call and ask though, they never volunteer the info or the switch. Then you can make a casserole (oven!) at the off time and microwave it at a peek time and the microwave uses virtually no power so you save money!

2 moms found this helpful

Congratulations and good luck. I wish I could be a sahm. I took the afternoon off yesterday and went thrift store shopping. I got the kids amazing Halloween Costumes for $3.98 each. I found a $5 sack sale, all the clothes you could fit in a plastic grocery sack for $5. I crammed 2 bags full and came away with a ridiculous amount of clothes for my kids and some work-out tshirts and shorts for me and hubby for $10. That's one great way to save.
Now that you will be home, you can cut out on convenience foods and start cooking more from scratch and planning more thoughtfully. I know with 2 people working, it's often grab and go. Not the healthiest or most economical way to go! Get a membership to a box store and start buying in bulk. Go for more generic options, rather than coupons on the name brands. Shop your grocery sales ads and stock up on price leaders. CAll all your utilities, cell phone and cable companies and try to negotiate lower rates.

2 moms found this helpful

If you don't need it, don't buy it. Not even if you have a coupon.

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If your kids have any decent clothes they have outgrown, sell them on ebay...or anything you are not using around the house. To see if your stuff is worth anything, go on ebay, and to the right of the box you type stuff into is the word "advanced". Click on that, type in what you have to sell, then check the box "completed listings". You can see how much similar items have sold for. GREAT way to make extra cash AND be a stay at home mom!!!

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Do you live any place near a plasma donation center? Before they changed the rules about partners that have had hepatitis, I donated regular for years. Many of them have playrooms now for the children while you donate. The average place pays nearly 250 per month if you go twice per week. It's such a good thing to do and 250 per month is a nice chunk of change.

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Join a playgroup for sanity and great friends for both of you. I went to meetup.com and found a good one. I also, look at neighborhood papers for events and savings.

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I guess if you are looking for anyway you can to save consider these things along with your couponing:

1: Cable TV (need or not?)
2: Buy from second hand stores for kids clothing/toys/books/movies etc..
3: Eating out (luxury or not?)
4: If not already, try using a VOIP phone service.
5: Find free activities to attend with your family.

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Well!!! You said it's a blessing and it's not like you were really contributing much to the family finances after paying daycare...

You are on the right track when it comes to coupons...

* If you have a land line - consider going to cell only.
* If you have cell phones (there are a few people who don't!!) check around for a better rate.
* Make a menu for the week - this will help with grocery shopping as well.
* Call your cable company and see if there is a better rate - I did this with Comcast and dropped $60 off the bill (even though we only use cable for the tv in the den)
* I called DirecTV and cut my bill almost in half and got more channels (I've been with them for 5 years so I told them that it was just too much and was considering going elsewhere)
* turn lights off behind you.
* Set the AC at 78 and use fans in the summer
* Keep the thermostat at 68 in the winter and wear a sweat jacket and socks.
* Make a list of the errands you have to do and do them in order instead of criss-crossing around town.
* Get a warranty plan on your appliances - we have one from Sears on our washer/dryer, dishwasher and stove...we get once per year free "check-ups" and service is free...it's a two year contract and VERY well worth it...if they can't fix it - they will replace it...yes this is an initial investment - but that's exactly what it is AN INVESTMENT - because if the washer/dryer goes - do you have the $2K to replace them?
* Think hard before you take things to the dry cleaners...do you need to pay someone else to do your laundry for you?

we are a CASH ONLY family...so before I buy something I ask myself - is this a NECESSITY or a NICETY?

YOU CAN DO THIS...it's an adjustment getting into a routine and schedule but YOU CAN DO IT...

GOOD LUCK!!

1 mom found this helpful

Get your family a budget book and write down every thing you spend. Get two pocket notebooks, one for you and one for your husband. Every time you spend any money write down how much you spent, where you spent it and what you bought. Example: 42 oz soda Taco Bell $2.39.
BTW, did you know a 12 oz can of soda will completely fill a 42 oz soda cup if its full of ice?

My Brother snd SIL were having a hard time making ends meet. They couldn't figure out where the money was going to. They used the notebooks and found that they were spending $500+ a month at the local fast food and 7-11's on snack food and drinks. They were amazed.

Only buy with a coupon what you would buy anyway. I have done extreme couponing and I found I was buying stuff that I wasn't going to use just so I could get it at a good price. I also found that with couponing, sometimes I could get store brand cheaper even without the coupon.

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My advice is to make more meals from scratch. I save a lot of money making things myself instead of buying them. It takes works, but I feel that is what I can do as a SAHM. Good Luck, it is a GREAT job!