When we first got married, it was recommended by many to only live on one income. In theory this is a great idea, but in actuality, it is next to impossible being newly married and working in entry level positions. And although we didn't follow this advice completely, we did try to save a lot of my income.
Just the other day, a very good friend of mine called me up to let me know she was going to go back to work part-time in order to be home more with her son. It was a difficult decision for them to make, and after going through the same thing months prior, I completely understood their hesitation. It is very hard to cut back the budget- especially when you have been experiencing life's convenient "luxuries" for so long.
After my friend shared her exciting news, I joked and said I would send her all of my money saving ideas. I then decided it would be my next blog post. Most of my tips are a just a collection of ideas I have heard from someone else. I am sure some of you will read this blog and think, "Wow, she is a little too much!", but it's how we make our budget work!
Ways we save monthly:
- First and foremost, making a budget and sticking to it is most important! I use mint.com and it tracks my budget for me. Thanks, Clark Howard!
- Breastfeeding. No explanation needed.
- Cloth diapering. They cost more up front, but they pay themselves off in about two to three months.
- Shopping garage and consignment sales for baby items. I have found some practically new items at awesome prices.
- Canceling the maid and making my own cleaning supplies. Vinegar, baking soda, Borax, tea tree oil, Murphy's oil and empty bottles is all you need to clean an entire house. I got my ideas from the book The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning.
- Eating at home. This was probably the hardest one for me, but now I actually prefer it to eating out.
- Freezing or eating all leftovers.
- Never buying prepackaged or already prepared items. We buy whole chickens and cut them ourselves (well, Eric does), make homemade granola, taco seasoning, humus, french fries or hash-browns, Bisquick, ect. You can pretty much find a recipe for anything you buy pre-made for 1/4 of the price.
- Cooking meals that use the same ingredients (e.g. cilantro, corn tortillas), items on sale, and seasonal produce. I know Eric is about tired of eating butternut squash, but it's in season! I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, which has dozens of recipes that use seasonal produce and allow ingredients to be used more than once.
- Buying alcohol at Trader Joe's. A bottle of wine and 6-pack of beer are both $3 each. And we think they taste great!
- Using reusable water bottles and installing a faucet water filter.
- Using Groupon, Scoutmob or Livingsocial for date nights. We hardy go out to eat anymore without a coupon. These sites are amazing- especially Scoutmob; you can get 50% restaurants for free. Thanks, Brack!
- Using coupons for name brand products (i.e. toiletries, paper towels, batteries, ect.) Coupons are not always a good thing because I can usually still get the store brand cheaper, but they are great for items that I would buy the name brand anyway. Stores like Target and Publix have their own coupons, and they will also take the manufacturer's coupon. I have gotten 1/2 off many products with the two coupons combined.
- Cutting Eric's hair and growing mine long. I have been cutting Eric's hair since college. I must say, he had some pretty bad hair cuts at first, but now they look pretty good.
- Canceling our gym memberships. Now, I put in a DVD and Jillian Michaels kicks my butt more than any trip to the gym.
- Using our American Express Blue credit card whenever possible. We get $500-$700 cash back a year for just using our card. They give the most for groceries and gas, which is where we spend most of our money. Of course, paying the bill each month is a good idea too.
Saving throughout the year:
- Searching for internet codes before buying online. Type in the store name and "internet code". I almost always find some kind of discount (e.g. Target, JCPenny).
- Calling your cable and phone company once a year to get a lower rate. They always give me the newest promotion deal even though I am not a new customer.
- If you usually pay your bills on time but forget one month, the company will almost always waive your first late fee - you just have to ask.
- When buying furniture, always look for flaws. No matter how small they may seem. I call the store and get at least 10% back. It is easier for them to do that than exchange the item.
- If you purchase an item and it breaks, contact the manufacture. Rival is now sending me my third crock-pot due to a flaw in the product. I might never have to buy another crock-pot again!
And Eric has done his part too - he traded his dirt bike for a mountain bike. That is sure to save us thousands of dollars in medical bills!
And she makes the effort worth it!
