I sometimes get asked how we save money, now that we've slimmed down to one income. I get so excited about sharing that I normally go on and on about things I've changed, ways I shop, coupons, etc. That's about the time their eyes glaze over and they wish they hadn't asked me at all. It's hard to find folks who share my passion for saving money, but it's a good thing my hubby is one of those people! I think he gets almost as excited as I do when I share about a new deal I got.
That being said, I have decided to do a series on the various ways we save money. I still consider myself new at this game, so feel free to shoot me an email or make comments on the posts. I would love to hear your ideas!
Before I go into the details, I want to share about why I have made such a big effort recently. It's no secret that I am now a stay at home mom. While we've made good decisions in the past, which means we have no debt other than our mortgage (yeah!), we still have to make some cuts in order to stay in the green now that we're on one income. I've made changes in our lifestyle and also in the way I shop. I find myself trying to find a balance, though. On the one hand there's convenience and things we enjoy because they're nice/new, and on the other hand there's money to be saved for important things like our children's education. I think I'm still working on finding the right balance.
This post is all about lifestyle changes. Below are the things we do in an effort to save money.
1. Change from disposable to reusable.
There are many ways we've done this. On top of being less expensive, many of these alternatives are also environmentally friendly. Here's a list of what I've changed.
• The biggest change we've made is cloth diapers. We invested in cloth diapers, because they will save us thousands of dollars. The more kids we have, the more money we save by continuing to use the cloth diapers. There are a ton of options out there these days. You can still get the old fashioned diapers that use a safety pin, but I chose something a little pricier to begin with. I have my reasons, which I won't go into right now. After investing in the cloth diapers, we saved enough money to break even at the end of 2011. So now we are saving money each time we change his diaper with cloth!
• Cloth baby wipes. This goes along with #1. They just get washed along with the diapers. We also use cloth wipes at meal time. We realized we were going through a ton of paper towels, because we used them to wipe off Gabriel's face and hands after eating.
• Cloth dish rag. We used to buy the disposable sponges for the kitchen, but those actually hold a lot of bacteria! So cloth is usually more sanitary since you can wash it more often.
• Reusable bags. This is a small one, but did you know that Target will give you 5¢ for each reusable bag you bring?
2. Don't always buy new.
There are often some lightly used alternatives to many of our regular purchases.
• Gift Bags and Tissue Paper. My friend laughed at me when I saved the bags and tissue paper from my baby shower. But hey, if you buy a new bag and paper for every single gift, that adds up! Once they're too torn/wrinkled to use anymore, I will get rid of them. But until then, you just might be receiving a recycled bag. I bet you won't even realize it.
• Baby Clothes. We are fortunate to have the seventh grandchild and fifth grandson on Richard's side of the family. All those boys have given Gabriel a lot of baby clothes. For the first year of his life, we only bought a few things for him. This isn't really a "change", because I would have always accepted hand-me-down clothes. The part that takes effort is not buying all those cute clothes I see, just because I like them. When I need to buy some baby clothes I wait for a great sale or go to the used clothing store. Typically I can get free outfits for Gabriel at Kohl's. More on that in another part of this series.
• Books. This is a big one if you're a big reader! Unfortunately, our local library never seems to have the books I want, but there is a used book shop on the corner of our block. I take my old books there and get store credit. I also will buy a used book on Amazon (as long as it's in good condition). The best is when I can borrow a book from a friend.
3. Don't buy as much, or do it yourself.
I can go on and on about ways to save, but in the end, the biggest way to save money is to not spend it! Make your budget go from a guideline to a hard rule.
• Cleaning. We've never paid for a cleaning lady, although sometimes I've thought about it. When I look at their prices, I change my attitude about cleaning and just get it done. It's like working out, you hate starting, but it feels good when it's done.
• Restaurants. You can save hundreds of dollars each month by eating out less often. We still eat out once in a while, but it's more of a treat and less of a regular thing.
• Clothing. I am still working on this one. I used to be able to buy whatever clothes I wanted, and not worry about a budget. I recently returned some work out clothes (even though I got a great deal with a coupon!), after realizing I spent too much. I will just make sure to wash what I have more often for now. I have to remember, no matter how good the deal is, it's always cheaper to not buy ANYTHING.
• Home Improvements. Richard has showed me that saying "I don't know how" is not a reason to pay someone to do it for you. He has done a number of things around the house by himself, just by doing a little research online. He's re-caulked the shower, replaced old fixtures, installed a new garbage disposal and installed our new oven. He makes me proud :)
• Coffee. This is one I am still guilty of. I have gotten into the habit of getting my Starbucks coffee while I'm out and about. I'm working on it, but they're just so tasty!
• Entertainment. Movies are expensive! They don't need to be a regular thing. If you get creative, there are a lot of other fun ways to spend an evening. Game night, go for a walk, or even a movie at home. We will sometimes go to a bookstore and just browse while talking. We still go to movies, but rarely.
• Travel. Bottom line here is stick to your budget. Different families travel different amounts. Some families live near all their relatives and friends, but we do not. In the end just make sure your budget is reasonable and stick to it.
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