I have a few tips I would like to share:
All laundry is washed in our home using cold water only. This saves on the cost of heating hot water and our clothes are as clean as if we had used hot water (which actually wears down the fibers faster). The tip is to only lightly fill your washing machine, do not pack the clothes in there tightly. When I dry our clothes, I use a “medium heat” setting and run the dryer for about 15 minutes. I hang my husband’s shirts on hangers and let them air dry.
When I go to the grocery store, I buy meat that is on sale in bulk, take it home and divide it into smaller portions, then freeze. I buy whole chicken (which is cheaper by pound) and cut it up myself. If you don’t like to, or don’t know how to cut up a chicken yourself, even the “whole chicken cut up” is cheaper than buying only “split chicken breasts.” I bag my chicken pieces together by type of part (bag all breast pieces together, bag all wings together, etc..).
Fast food is the root of all evil! When my husband and I desided to stop eating fast food, he lost 65 pounds and I lost 45 pounds. – Also on weightloss… the best and most cost efficient diet plan is “DRINK MORE WATER!” We bought a PUR water filter pitcher and faucet piece and have saved tons by not having to buy bottled water.
We grow our own vegitables in the garden. I have an outside pet rabbit who lives in a hutch and the manure is a great fertilizer (and it doesn’t cost a ton of money). Gardening is fun. It takes a bit of time to tend, but it is well worth the effort.
Another way to save money… join Freecycle. Just about ever major town has a web site and it is set up for folks who want to recycle their items to others who could use them.
I also do a lot of thrift store shopping in the winter months, and yard sale shopping in the spring/summer/fall. I have my own yard sale at least once a year. This eliminates clutter and earns me some extra cash (to spend at other people’s yard sales!)
This seems to be a great site and I’ve picked up quite a few new tips myself. I hope some that I’ve shared have helped someone else.