What things do you do to save money?

MissyC979 · August 2013

With baby #2 on the way, we've been talking more and more about budgeting and cutting expenses. We've never really had to budget that much, but with two kids in daycare, I think we're going to feel a squeeze and it has me a little stressed. We're starting to brainstorm ways to streamline our budget and I thought it might be interesting to see what others have tried.

What do you do to stay on track? Are there any expenses that you're planning to cut over the next few months? Any online tools that have helped you with budgeting?

aundrea1225 · August 2013

We're budgeting for this baby and have cut out a couple small things like Netflix and Xbox live. I also signed up for wic so that's a good chunk of groceries deducted. We only go out to eat once every 2 weeks. Just that little bit seems to be helping.

Gapeach83 · August 2013

One thing I know saves money is eat at home more often less take out and eating out (bonus no tipping money). If you go to work take lunches instead of getting lunch out. Look into store brands when shopping. These are little things but they help. I know cooking is more work but there are simple meal ideas all over the Internet. I also the extreme cuponing it might help with diaper cost(if your not doing cloth). I have never done it myself but want to look more into it. These ass all save a little now save more later.

Also see what luxuries like cable you can do with out.

SoMoNY · August 2013

With the baby coming at start of winter that will help us eat out less which is always an easy way to save money.

Thinking of dropping HBO and Sho because we just don't have time for those channels much these days.

Glad we are having second boy, that will save us a ton when it comes to clothes, toys and decorations.

nofcksgiven · August 2013

We use cash for just about everything we buy- except gas.
We give ourselves a budget for each thing (food, household, clothes, dogs) and then pull out the cash on the 1st and 15th and stick it in envelopes. We know EXACTLY how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone.

We've saved over $1,000 just this month.

jy725 · August 2013

I keep a spreadsheet of all of our bills. I include the payment type (car, credit card, etc.), balance due, monthly amount due (or monthly amount I pay toward the bill), and the due date. I update it each month by reducing the balance due. It really helps me to get some perspective of what I owe and where we can afford to spend a bit more. I also have my bank/work direct deposit $100 per paycheck into my savings account. I don't touch my savings account balance unless there is an emergency.

MissyC979 · August 2013

Here are some of the ideas I've come up with so far:

Eating out less--this is a big one for us. We tend to eat out most of the time during the weekend and we order takeout at least one night a week.

We're looking into cancelling our phone, since we do everything on our cell phones anyway. I'm not sure how much money this will save us, since it's part of a package, but we'll see.

I'm cancelling my Audible subscription for now, since I'm on bedrest and won't be driving into the office until probably late February when maternity leave is over.

We'll probably keep cable and Netflix, I feel like this is even more important when you're trapped in the house with a newborn.

I'm trying to space out the baby-related purchases so they aren't all done in the same month. I'm trying to pick up a few things here and there as I have BRU coupons.

We'll use Amazon for diapers and wipes, like we did last time. We saved a good amount of money with Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save. Plus, not running to Target for diapers saved me time and $$ I would have spent on other random purchases since I can't leave that store without spending $100+.

I want to start Christmas and birthday shopping earlier in the year. We're going to have two early December birthdays, followed by Christmas, so that's a lot of gifts and expenses at the same time of year.

jamrosj · August 2013

Meggie0421 said:

We use cash for just about everything we buy- except gas. We give ourselves a budget for each thing (food, household, clothes, dogs) and then pull out the cash on the 1st and 15th and stick it in envelopes. We know EXACTLY how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone. We've saved over $1,000 just this month.

We are doing this exactly and are doing the Dave Ramsey plan to pay off student loans. We'll be debt free except our home in less than a year, God willing! It's been great for our marriage because I'm frugal and DH is not so I don't get mad at him anymore for buying things because we budget for those items and talk about the big purchases.

On our grocery budget I try to make things homemade, shop around what meat is on sale and meal plan every week. That way I know what's for dinner each night and almost nothing goes to waste.

We cut off cable, got pay as you go phones (no data plan for us), and I shop secondhand for whatever possible. I've really gotten used to this lifestyle and although I find myself wanting the same things as before it makes those things better when we get them because we have to plan ahead.

MissyC979 · August 2013

crazy4mas9 said:

I send my husband to work on the weekends. Ha just kidding. He's been putting in a ton of extra hours a week though to add to our bank account. You could always coupon. Would staying at home save you any $?

Ha! Mine will actually be teaching some music lessons on the weekends (in addition to his full-time job).

We make too much money for either of us to stay home, even with two kids. However, the daycare expenses do add up. I'm already paying $840 a month for DS to go to school 3 days a week. We're planning to up that to 5 days once the new baby comes, then put the new baby in daycare 2-3 days per week, with my Mom watching him the other days. Daycare is a HUGE expense for us and we're really going to feel it.

nicholssquared · August 2013

DH and I were still in college with our eldest. We didn't eat out and didn't have internet/netflix, etc. Things PP have mentioned. For baby expenses, I also recommend BFing, CDing and making your own baby food, if you are able. These three things saved us thousands of dollars.

lollipoppoop · August 2013

I coupon, bring my own lunch, shop at consignment stores

jamrosj · August 2013

Also, don't be afraid to ask your friends with older kids to borrow stuff! In my circle we pass around swings, toys, you name it.

TheSloppySwish · August 2013

I feel you. We have to come up with another $1000 a month when this LO starts daycare in March. A few things we've done:

- Cancelled cable/satellite and got Roku instead. Two Roku boxes were a one-time cost of about $130, so now all we pay is $8 a month for Netflix. I also pay $80 a year for Amazon Prime, which includes streaming TV/video through Roku and is a great way to buy diapers, wipes and baby supplies (as a PP mentioned, Amazon Mom + Prime + Subscribe & Save).

- Shop car and homeowners insurance, and raise your deductibles.

- If you or your SO have the option of a Dependent Care Flex Spending account through work, use it. It immediately cuts your payroll tax deduction.

As far as budgeting/finance tools, I really like mint.com for being able to see all your accounts in one place. The budget tool sucks, though.

leahraewku · August 2013

I use coupons for grocery shopping.

I don't buy any clothing for myself or my kids unless it's at a discount. Often times this means buying out of season. My kids are stocked up on shorts and dresses for next summer because of the sales going on right now.

We cancelled our gym membership and bought a treadmill instead.

We drive our compact car vs the SUV whenever possible to save on gas.

We don't have a land line. We just use our cell phones.

We rarely ever eat out.

We buy family memberships to the museum, zoo, and aquarium because it keeps the kids entertained year round and it's so much cheaper than paying for admission each time you go.

JillSandm · August 2013

Another Dave Ramsey fan, here! We do a lot of what others have already said. In addition:

* no cable/satellite/etc (we get only PBS and hubby rents movies on 99cent Mondays)

* cloth dinner napkins

* no paper plates/cups/etc

* Diva cup when not pregnant

* family game night for entertainment instead of going out

* yard sale for needs before buying new

* we eat a lot of pasta/rice, which I know isn't the most healthy, but it's cheap. I try to do dinner for $6 total. I always make sure the kids have fresh fruit and veggies, but I only buy it if it's $1.20/lb or less.

* I cut everyone's hair; I have mine cut at the salon once per year ($20 including tip)

* make my own laundry soap (4 cents per load)

* no makeup/perfume/etc

*kids get the clothes they NEED each season (whether new or from yard sales), I get two pieces of clothing in the fall and spring

* breakfast for dinner can be super cheap if you're in a pinch!

* I sell anything we haven't used in 6 months (unless it's seasonal, like the Christmas items)

* kids pay their own way for certain things - rides at the fair (we give them $10, the rest is up to them), snacks when we go to the movie theater (I buy either popcorn or drink, they get anything else), fireworks (we give $10 towards), summer camp (they pay $25), swimming pool membership (they pay 1/3 the total) Now all this to say, we do give them plenty of opportunity to earn money through jobs around the house (daily chores are unpaid, extra agreed-upon jobs earn money)

* we do all our own yardwork, landscaping, oil-changing, etc.

* when we go out to eat, DH and I often order something off the appetizer menu for our meal. Some places have such a huge nacho plate it fills us both up!

74dragonfly · August 2013

One thing that helps is track everything you spend. You can see where you over spend. Also if you plan to keep cable TV call and tell them you are canceling. They will lower your bill. Same with cell phone.

leahraewku · August 2013

Oh, and I buy a gift for each kid out of every single paycheck and put it away for birthdays and Christmas. That way it doesn't hit us all at once.

Anonymom9 · August 2013

If you really want to make a significant change in your spending habits I would recommend Dave Ramsey's financial peace program. That's what we do. It's hard I'm not gonna lie, but you get used to it and its worth it!

2010weddinggal · August 2013

I did Wic which really helps with the healthy grocery aspect, we shop every other week and then just by meat and what ever else we need. I buy bulk dish soap, deodorant, body wash and shampoo conditoner. I usually find coupons or wait till something is buy one get one, I keep everything off in the house when I do not need it.

KFED103 · August 2013

Yup. No cable and couponing are our biggest two. Meal planning and never eating out. Note: I was doing much better at this before I became pregnant and started being extra lazy

willowprincess · August 2013

We only buy clothes and such at thrift stores/ consignment shops. We don't have cable/netflix/hulu plus. We get veggies and fruits at a local farmers market whenever possible and buy day-old bread from a local ministry. We don't have a/c and wait until necessary to turn on the heat. I dry clothes on the clothes line when I can instead of in the dryer. I buy meat on sale and freeze it. I use fillers like pasta and rice to make meals go farther.

For Christmas we follow the 4-gift rule for our kids (something to wear, something to read, something to play with, and something they need). The toy is their Santa gift. We don't impulse buy. We look for free activities ad budget for the ones that aren't. We make/do it ourselves rather than buy/hire someone (i.e. haircuts, birthday cakes, oil change).

We don't eat out, and prefer date nights like hiking or walking around the mall where it's free. We swap babysitting with friends so neither of us needs to pay for a sitter.

Also, I receive a text message everyday with our account balances. This helps me to remember what we actually have and not overspend.

azmama20 · August 2013

We got rid of our smartphones and cut our cell bill in half.

MarieC78 · August 2013

We cancelled cable, found less expensive internet, called and negotiated a price decrease with the garbage company, adjusted cell plans, changed dog from premium brand food to Costco brand and buy things in bulk.

My problem is still meals out/laziness. Need to break that bad habit.

jamrosj · August 2013

We also just found out that we were being charged $77 a year to rent a modem from our internet provider and DH found one to buy for $99. That one was mostly a principle thing but still.

amichael89 · August 2013

This is a great topic! As a FTM I don't have the experience of STM but I willchime in with what we do. I currently work 2 part time jobs but in 2 weeks I will no longer be nannying which could bring in $600/month depending on the hours they needed me. This will be a huge adjustment for us as that is a huge chunk of change. We only have the necessities an will keep it that way. We use Netflix Instead of cable, have the cheapest Internet, cell phones only, no newspaper subscriptions etc. and that seems to be a huge cost saver. We buy second hand as much as possible. Buy store brand when grocery shopping and always go in with a list! We also try to keep our air and heat set so our bills are lower but also don't want to freeze or get too hot! I commute an hour to work twice so we pay a fortune in gas and maintaining the cars but that is better in the long run cause we won't have to replace cars as frequently! On the two days I will be working my mom will watch baby so will have no child care costs and I am planning on bfing and making my own baby food as well cding.

frantastic12 · August 2013

My car will be paid off a week before my EDD (yay!). Even though DH wants to get a new one, I'll be driving that sucker for as long as I possibly can and saving the money that normally goes toward a payment.

I also discovered an awesome consignment shop with a big maternity section, and I plan on continuing to shop there (in the non-maternity section) after the baby.

I've always used coupons; I've been putting some extra effort forth to stock up on non-perishables so I don't have to worry about running out and spending $ on convenience food when the LO gets here.

We have a Sam's membership that pays for itself in less than 6 months of DH's gas purchases since it's so much cheaper than anywhere else. I do a lot of cost/unit calculations and buy whatever is cheapest here (vs. at a grocery store with a coupon).

My newest saving method has been Amazon. If you have a .edu email address, you can sign up for Amazon Student and receive Prime benefits at about half the cost. I've looked at a lot of their Subscribe & Save options and signed up for the things that I can't get cheaper anywhere else (and received an additional 20% discount since I have 5+ subscriptions).

ETA: I also shop at Aldi. Huge savings compared to a regular grocery store. I really only shop at grocery stores when I have coupons for sale items (they double coupons in my area). Otherwise, the majority of our shopping is done at Sam's or Aldi.

lp0 · August 2013

We just refinanced our home which saved us $500 per month.

I also called the cable company and told them I was thinking about leaving because we couldn't afford it and they gave me all these "specials" which cut our monthly bill by $50 per month.

MamaS2B · August 2013

Meggie0421 said:

We use cash for just about everything we buy- except gas. We give ourselves a budget for each thing (food, household, clothes, dogs) and then pull out the cash on the 1st and 15th and stick it in envelopes. We know EXACTLY how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone. We've saved over $1,000 just this month.

We do this! I take out exactly how much i have budgeted for food, gas, and spending money. That's all I can spend during the month. Some times I might have to borrow a little from my gas envelope to cover food for the rest of the month, but that has been a huge help in budgeting!

MamaGrillo · August 2013

Doing a lot of what's already been mentioned.

We don't have cable, but we do have Netflix (just the streaming). We also bought an Apple TV modem a few years ago, so we can do a lot through that. We cancelled cable just before that, and aside from the kids missing the Cooking shows (They Loved the Iron Chef shows!!lol) nobody misses it. We weren't watching it anyway.

We paid off our credit cards some years ago and live on a cash/debit card basis. Don't have it, don't buy it. We save from each paycheck towards our vacation fund. So this past vacation was paid for in full and we didn't feel it. We have some left over, and will be able to have a mini vacation on October before baby comes. Yay!

I DO buy in bulk, but not everything, since it isn't always cheaper. In the winter we get a lot of Frozen organic veggies, which are really good sautéed, or in soups.

We make lunches for the kids, and I make most things from scratch. My oldest (10) always says "homemade is best, Mummy!" (Yeah totally brainwashed!!)

Also, meal planning helps to not overshop. I should do this more, since I notice a difference in my grocery bill when I do.

Although we're not following Dave Ramsay's Financial Peace Program, we listen to him, and he makes a lot of sense.

Also, when we first got married, we read The Millionaire Next Door. And though it is not our goal to be millionaires, it really encouraged us in our financial journey.

aessary03 · August 2013

My husband takes away my debit card. That usually helps tremendously.

KFED103 · August 2013

LP0198 said:
We just refinanced our home which saved us $500 per month.

I also called the cable company and told them I was thinking about leaving because we couldn't afford it and they gave me all these "specials" which cut our monthly bill by $50 per month.

If you actually do cancel, they will call you back within a day and offer it back to you for next to nothing lol. We declined but still thought it was pretty funny.

MissJenna2011 · August 2013

I coupon! I can get diapers for $3 or so a package, when I find deals like that I buy 10- 20 pks at a time!

www.thekrazycouponlady.com this website is a huge help!

m88bloom · August 2013

MissyC979 said:

crazy4mas9 said:

I send my husband to work on the weekends. Ha just kidding. He's been putting in a ton of extra hours a week though to add to our bank account. You could always coupon. Would staying at home save you any $?

Ha! Mine will actually be teaching some music lessons on the weekends (in addition to his full-time job).

We make too much money for either of us to stay home, even with two kids. However, the daycare expenses do add up. I'm already paying $840 a month for DS to go to school 3 days a week. We're planning to up that to 5 days once the new baby comes, then put the new baby in daycare 2-3 days per week, with my Mom watching him the other days. Daycare is a HUGE expense for us and we're really going to feel it.

$840/month for 3 days a week?! What kind of school is this and where do you live?

sportsmomma · August 2013

Another vote for Aldi! I've found I even like some of their items BETTER than name brands!

MissyC979 · August 2013

m88bloom said:

MissyC979 said:

crazy4mas9 said:

I send my husband to work on the weekends. Ha just kidding. He's been putting in a ton of extra hours a week though to add to our bank account. You could always coupon. Would staying at home save you any $?

Ha! Mine will actually be teaching some music lessons on the weekends (in addition to his full-time job).

We make too much money for either of us to stay home, even with two kids. However, the daycare expenses do add up. I'm already paying $840 a month for DS to go to school 3 days a week. We're planning to up that to 5 days once the new baby comes, then put the new baby in daycare 2-3 days per week, with my Mom watching him the other days. Daycare is a HUGE expense for us and we're really going to feel it.

$840/month for 3 days a week?! What kind of school is this and where do you live?

Yes. That's just what it costs around here. It's a daycare center and he's in the preschool room. Granted, it is one of the nicer centers in town. We live in the suburbs of Boston. Daycare is our highest expense after housing (don't get me started on our housing costs!). We're not willing to go to a less expensive daycare though, since we love his school and education is one of the areas where we're choosing to put our money.

NurseKMM · August 2013

We do a lot of what others have posted (eating out less, etc). The one thing I do which has been a great help is open a savings account. Every paycheck I get has money automatically pulled out for me. Originally it was for saving for our new house, which was helpful when we bought it. Then for Christmas expenses. Now it's for the baby. The best part is I cannot transfer funds, I have to physically go to the bank if I need money. It is helpful since it is not easily accessed.

cammyisagirlsname · August 2013

We got rid of premium channels, got rid of a house phone, buy store brand foods (I was so opposed to this, but H was all for it, after almost a year it doesn't bother me anymore), I never EVER buy clothing or personal stuff unless its on sale, I barter spa services for some things, save gas points when we grocery shop (I just filled my car for $60¢ off per gallon!), signed up for Amazon Mom and always use coupons.

Paddlefisher · August 2013

Turning a hobby into DIY Christmas gifts. I garden, so all the $ I use to fertilize, etc in the garden is going into homemade, organic salsa and spaghetti sauce which we will give for holiday gifts. It's all grown in my garden - several variety of tomatoes, peppers (bell & hot), onions, etc. Right now, the produce is also saving on our grocery bill.

lilybeth12 · August 2013

we cook 95% of our dinners at home, and both bring our lunch a minimum of 4 days per week.

MH is going back on Chantix to quit smoking again (dont get me started)

we talked the cable company and wireless company down as far as possible while still getting the service we want (need would be less)

we meal plan in a loose manner, and do Costco runs every other week. We're doing produce from the farmer's market for the most part, which is about as pricey as the local grocery store but tastes better.

When we moved we shopped around for homeowners and vehicle insurance.

We're buying all of baby girl's clothes second hand.

other than keeping spending down this is all I can think of at the moment.

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