You are right, everyone does need to save money! Lately, I have been going through my house and seeing all the clutter and excess things that I have, that have accumulated throughout the years. My thought is i could have saved so much money by not buying these things that I don’t use, my children don’t use, and the husband definitly doesn’t use!
I have yougn children, both girls, so to save money on clothes, they are reused. I am always looking out for *free* hand me downs, which people give away freely. My infant is getting ready to move on to a toddler bed, which my husband found sitting outside waiting for the trashman. Nothing wrong with it’ people just throw away lots of things! My sofa is getting a little worn, so I am researching slipcovers for it, instead of buying a new sofa. My washing machine I got for 40 bucks… yes, it was about 20 years old when I bought it, but it washes the clothes, which is all I need it to do! The dryer I got brand new 6 years ago, but all it does is dry. That is all I needed! I am in the military, and stationed away from my extended family, so long distance calls are a must. i got the plan that has unlimited local and long distance calls, because it is still about 30 dollars cheaper than paying for all the calls I make. Of course, I could always go cheaper by just writing a letter and putting a stamp on it, but time is an issue.
Grocery shopping is a place where I can spend a lot of money. BRING A LIST AND STICK TO IT! If I see something I may like but it is not on the list, I write it down and think about it. I do not buy any cleaning supplies or toilietries at the grocery store; I go to the Dollar General store and get all of that for MUCH cheaper. Instead of charging Christmas gifts, I take full advantage of layaways, and again, I shop at Dollar General. I can find toys that they kids love, and when they stop playing with them, they only cost as much as 5 to 10 dollars a toy anyway, instead of 20 to 60.
My phone plan gives me free movie rentals for every 25 dollars I pay on my bill, so for entertainment, we rent movies for free and make popcorn from kernals at home. I bring my lunch to work. That saves a lot of money. Reuse tea bags if you make tea for drinks.. you can use them about three times before they are too weak. I save my dryer sheets after using them once. Put two used ones in the next load and it works just the same. I make menus of what we are eating for dinner that week, and stick to it! No room for, “well, I dont know what to cook, lets go eat out!” That saves money as well.
And my best way to save money…. I stay out of Walmart. I do not go in there AT ALL, without a chaperone. Of course, that is usually the husband, and he gets lost in the sports section, but he is good at telling me, “We don’t need that!”
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