Monday, January 27, 2014

8 Simple Ways to Save Money

This year we are trying to save as much money as we can. We've spent the past couple of weeks changing some spending habits and brainstorming creative ways to cut costs without feeling like we are going without. I thought some of these ideas may help another family so I wanted to share them with you all and if you have more ideas I’d love for you to leave a comment below so I can try some new ideas out next month.

1) Turn the heat down. We turned the heat down to 70 degrees (I usually have it on 80) and are snuggling under more blankets and pulling out the slippers and wearing warmer clothes. Since we keep it so warm in our home I hope to turn down the temp by a couple more degrees next month.
2) Cut out the expensive coffee drinks. {Okay, so this month it’s more like drink less of them instead of cut them out completely…one step at a time here…} I still like Starbucks so I’ve been drinking International Delight coffee I can buy from the grocery store. It’s not the same as my favorite Starbucks drinks but it is only $3 or $4 for a whole carton as opposed to $5+ for one drink.
3) Enjoy more time at home. We’d love to go to the movies and see Frozen but we are waiting until it comes out on DVD. We watch Netflix which is only $7.99 per month. That is much cheaper than going to the movies. We are also enjoying family night in our tv room playing board games instead of going places that cost money. We also have plenty of Video Games (Super Nintendo, N64, Wii, XBOX, PS4 (thanks to my brother +Gordon Palmer and lots more video games)
4) Ask for discounts on monthly costs. Check to see if there are discounts or specials you can get from your utility companies or any other companies you pay monthly. I ask for discounts everywhere I go. When I rent a car I use a discount code. You can ask family and friends do they have discounts on their jobs. I also write companies that I like and dislike to get free stuff and coupons. 
5) Save on gas by driving less. Well since we do not have an operating car we walk everywhere and my husband rides with his father to work. I work from home so I do not need to drive anywhere. But we have been trying to limit driving (renting cars) to places we need to go and combining errands together in the same trips.
6) Eat less fast food and more leftovers. Fast food and quick meals are a big expense for us (not to mention an unhealthy habit).  I am horrible about having leftovers in my fridge and letting them go to waste as well so I’ve been making it a point to eat leftovers whenever I can. I have also been cooking less to have less waste. If they are still hungry I tell them to let what they have ate to digest and then tell me in 15-20 minutes if they are still hungry. They are usually not.
7) Turn lights off when not in the room. This is something I always heard when I was a kid and a rule that was so easy to break unintentionally. Not sure how much money it will save us but every little bit helps right?
8) Stay out of stores and off Amazon. Somehow I always manage to go into Rite Aid with a short list and come out with a cart full. I’ve always been a shopper and the only way I can guarantee I won’t buy anything I don’t need is if I stay out of the stores. This might sound extreme but if Andre can go to the store and get what we need and I don’t have to then why tempt myself with Rite Aid clearance section? When I do go into the store the key will be sticking to my list.
If you have anymore Ideas Please Let Me Know....
GastricJoy

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