15 Tips To Saving Money

This summer has been pretty rough for us and hasn’t gotten any easier. We have had to relocate, replace an engine, and well survive. We started trying to find ones that we can save money. I have found 15 things that really helped us spend a little less. 

1. The Thirty Day Rule: Want something, but not sure if you “need” it wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item. More often than not you will  find that you don’t want it any more and you would have saved yourself some money by simply waiting.
2. Write a list before you go shopping – and stick to it:  Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come out of the store saving a bundle. (And don’t go grocery shopping hungry, you will buy less food!)
3. Clean out your closet. Go through your closets and try to get rid of some of the stuff in there. I sold a lot of my husband and kids clothes on eBay. I also found a lot of items around the house that we didn’t need and was able to sell them.
4. Maximize yard sales: Over the summer I have bought a few things that we really needed at a yard sale. The item was in great condition but was half of the cost it would have been if it was new. Plus you can get a lot of good clothes for kids for cheap prices. They grow fast, so you don’t really need to pay tons for them.
5. Do a price comparison – and find a cheaper grocery store: I learned all about price comping this summer. Boy did I fall in love. Wal-Mart will do price comping. I got several name brand items but got them cheaper than I would if it was the generic brand.
6.  Try generic brands of items you buy regularly: If you can’t price comp go ahead and buy the generic. They taste or work just as good as the name brand.
7. Prepare some meals at home: If we had a trip plan or a game to go to I would prepare some snacks and drinks for us. It was a lot cheaper than buying food and drinks on the road.
8. Look for a cheaper place to live: That’s what we did. We moved from a house that cost 65o a month to 350 a month. Save 300 a month!
9. Cut your own hair: I didn’t cut my own hair. I hardly ever get a hair cut in the first place. However my mother in law would cut my son’s hair. It saved us tons of money!
10.  Consolidate your student loans: This is HUGE!! Just this past month we have consolidated my husbands and I loan. He is a teacher and found a program that will wave a certain amount of his loan. He would have almost 400 a month payment and I would have a 100 a month. Now we have to pay 100 for five months than 50 for a  115 months instead a 500. BIG difference. Even if you aren’t a teacher if you do your research I am sure you will find some kind of programs to help!
11. Make your own items instead of buying them: There are tons of information on making your own items. You can make laundry detergent, cleaners, and even hair detangler. I have made my own hair detangler. Works just as good!
12. Always ask for fees to be waived: This is huge!! If you are up front with a company and talk about your budget they can wave fees or set you up on some kind of payment plan. This was the only way we made it through the winter! You never know what the company has available for help if you don’t ask.
13. Eat less meat: Meat is expensive. If you eat a little less it will save you a lot of money. Also, if you use ground turkey verses ground beef you can save some money as well. Plus it’s a little better for you.
14. Check out what your town’s parks and recreation board has to offer: My kids got to do tons of activities this summer and past year for the matter. The recreation had a scholarship program where they got to do an activity for like five bucks. It kept the busy, active, and they were having fun. They also had free events on the weekends. There are tons of things out there that you can do for free with your family. Just do your research!
15. Invest in a deep freezer: This is something I haven’t personally done yet, but it’s on my wish list. You can get one just under 200. Which may seem a lot (I know right now it does for me), but it will save you money in the end. You can buy bulk meat items which gives you a cheaper rate per pound. You can also cook ahead. Having the space will provide you more room for freezer meals. Which again if you plan ahead it’s cheaper and actually easier on you (the mom!).

I know these tips aren’t much, but I promise you if you start doing them they will save you some money. It may be little in the beginning but over time it will make a difference. I am curious what ways do you save money??