Budgeting/Saving Tips
Time for some more budgeting/saving tips:
- Coupons.com has a lot of great coupons that you can print out
- MyCoupons.com has a lot of great information on deals that are being found at various stores
- Buy off-brand items. Yes, some will taste like sawdust, but others are identical to the name brand. If you have an ALDI grocery store in your area, it is worth the drive to purchase groceries there. We save at least $50 a month by buying our essentials there – milk, bread, canned foods, eggs … As a side note, their eggs can be somewhat non-uniform – I get double-yolk eggs, oblong eggs … It is really interesting.
- Try to go a week without going to the grocery store. Put together meals from stuff that is in the cupboards! You will enjoy some concoctions that you have not had in awhile (or never), AND you will be able to save a week's worth of grocery money to put toward your emergency fund!
- Have the kids mow the lawn and do the landscaping instead of paying someone else to do it. Pay your kids and teach them how to save/give/spend out of that money! Can you spell, "LEARNING OPPORTUNITY"?
- Cut all of your kids hair. It will save many families $20 – $40 per month!
- CONSIGNMENT stores/Goodwill/Salvation Army. You can find some great deals on clothing there!
- Shop your insurance for quotes. Get at least three quotes and obtain one of them from an independent insurance agent. You may be able to save $100 – $500/year on your insurance!
- Take a low-budget vacation instead of that $3,000 one. You will find that you will have just as much fun, and you may be able to save $2,000 – $2,500 toward debt reduction, emergency fund, or retirement fund!
- Sleep on major purchase decisions. This will really help you to avoid "impulse" purchases like a new car, a pricey vacation, a new plasma TV, etc.
- Get rid of the home telephone. Many people have so many cell phones that the home phone is becoming obsolete. For basic home telephone service you will pay $25/month, and it will not come with the basic features that a cell phone has – free long distance, caller-id, call waiting, voice mail, camera, text messaging, games, etc.
- Get rid of the movie channels on cable. It is loaded with a bunch of trash movies anyhow, and it leads to a loads of wasted time.
I would love to hear more ideas on how you can save money. You leave a comment or contact me HERE.
Instead of paying full price when you do go out for a meal (Valentine’s Day, Birthdays, etc.) register at http://www.restaurant.com to get their coupon specials. For instance you can purchase a coupon for $25 worth of food based on a $35 purchase for $3 at the end of the month when they offer the coupons at 60% off the normal $10 price. So $35 worth of dining out for $13. That’s a bargin.
We went to Disney last year. There are 3 of us. We stayed on property and ate free food. We stayed at a value resort for $89 per night but they offered free food during that time (September). http://www.themouseforless.com
7 nights 700 (with tax) Pop Century Resort
food free (but I did take my daughter to tea at the Grand Floridian) since we saved so much and that cost $50)
transportation $178 x 2 and I used frequent flyer miles to fly
rental car we didn’t get one. we used Disney transporation all week except one night it was late and we did splurge on an $19 taxi ride from Animal Kingdom back to our hotel
So we did a week at Disney for $1200 (total) – we don’t buy souvenirs except a family ornament. My daughter earned and spent about $100. Park tickets were left over from a previous trip. We bought 10 day tickets that never expire with water park options. We still have enough days left for another trip.