Well as a family of 6 it is tough to save money in some aspects! Water for example because no matter how much you conserve doing other things there is always dishes, laundry and showers that must be had! But rest assured that there are ways to save your hard earned money each and every month following some simple tips that we have used over the past year. Now I am just going to touch on a few of the things that we do to cut our costs and keep our money in our pockets. I will however have more individual posts elaborating on each of the topics posted in the near future.
So what do we do to save money you ask? Well the first thing that is guaranteed to save everyone money is buying ONLY what you need and what you will use. It doesn't matter if there is a sale on milk for .5 a bag (which we have found in the past) if you buy more than you can use you will just end up wasting it and your money! So here are some money saving tips to get you started!
1- unplug EVERYTHING that is not in use, tv's, kitchen appliances etc, anything that you are not using unplug. Even though it may not be turned on it is still drawing electricity and costing you money
2- make sure your freezers are full, if you have two freezers and one is 3/4 full and the other only has a tiny bit in it reorganize your freezer so they all fit into one. Not only will you save from the electricity that you were using on the second freezer but your full freezer will now be more energy efficient and will save you money in the long run!
3- turn that dryer off and hang dry your clothes! Your whites will be whiter and your electricity bill or gas bill will be much lower! Your clothes will smell like the natural summers breeze and you will be lining your pocket with money in no time!
4- wash your clothes in cold water, there is really no reason to wash in hot anyhow. You will save money on the electricity or gas that your hot water tank uses. While we are talking about washing clothes I'd also like to mention something else. You know those lovely little scoops that laundry detergent companies give you in the box of soap saying you need to use a full cup for a full load. Well I'll let you in on a little secret... their lying! Yup that's right, if you use half of what they tell you to use on your regular load of laundry your clothes will still come out as clean and your detergent will last twice as long! Try it, I dare ya! And fabric softener, oh how it smells so good with all the newest scents they are always releasing but it's not necessary! No siree, if you use a dash of vinegar that you can buy at a fraction of the cost your clothes will be static free anyhow and just as soft! Pretty cool eh!
5- try out your green thumb! Really I insist! Turn up a spot in your backyard, get some pots or make a raised bed and start growing your very own fruits and veggies! They will be tastier, last longer, be chemical free (no need for any fertilizer or sprays) and you will have the pride of knowing that your hard work and love went into feeding your families. You can fill your freezers, can to fill your pantries and enjoy fresh produce all summer long for a fraction of the grocery store costs!
6- clip coupons only when it makes sense to. Don't waste your time clipping coupons for products that you don't generally use, it doesn't make financial sense. Same goes for buying items just because they are on a really great sale. If you don't normally use them, then don't buy them. Also check out generic brands, many times they are just as yummy but are much more grocery budget friendly.
7- shop yard sales, thrift stores and consignment shops in that order! Why pay full price for children's toys and clothing when they are just going to outgrow them quicker than your credit card bill can be delivered! Yard sales often have children's clothing priced under $1 per piece and if you search you can find name brands in excellent condition. Your child could be the most stylish child in school and only you would know where those clothes really came from! Thrift stores are great for all year around bargain hunters. Their items are usually priced a bit more than yard sales but much less than retail. Many thrift stores often have 50% off days or in store specials which are always worth checking out as well. And if all else fails check out your local consignment shops, their prices are usually twice the price of thrift stores and yard sales
8- check out your local websites for money saving deals! I frequent kijiji, freecycle and other local classifieds to find items that we need without buying new. Very seldom do we buy new, it not only saves me trying to get things out of the package for a hour but I am saving that extra packaging going into the landfill and buying like new items for a fraction of the price. This is great for buying Christmas and birthday gifts, trust me kids don't even miss the packaging and love being able to dive right into their new gift without having to wait to get it out of the package. Some other great sites include craigslist, and other yahoo groups- check out what is in your area
9- meal plan and budget this has saved us literally thousands of dollars yearly! Our budget has made our money work for us and go directly where it needs to instead of spending on a whim. Meal planning ensures that we know what we are making each and every night instead of ordering take out because we don't know what to make. If you design your meal plan around what is on special in your weekly flyers or what you already have in your house you will save even more! Who doesn't love a home cooked meal?
And lastly stock piling. This can be tricky because we all love a good deal but it doesn't have to be. If you are going to be successful in stock piling you have to follow a few simple rules- buy only what you will use before expiry and buy only what you already use. It's simple, watch your flyers, write your list of exactly what you are going to purchase that is on special and buy only those items. To be really successful with this you need to know your prices. If the brand of bread you normally buy is $1.99 and is on special at a store that is 45 minutes away for $1.60 you probably are not going to save enough to make the drive worth while. BUT if the brand of bread you normally buy is $1.99 and is on special at your local grocery store that is 10 minutes away for $1 your savings could be significant! Especially if you have the room to freeze the excess that you purchase. If you buy 50 loaves and no where to freeze it, chances are it will mold and have to be thrown away along with your money.. not a wise money saving option!
So these are a few money savings tips that I have for you right now. This is just a small fraction of what we do to make our money work for us. In my next entry I will enlighten you on how to make money when saving just isn't enough. I will also be posting more on how these tips can be made to work for you and some budgeting tips as well.
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