In General
1-Budget- having a budget and sticking to it will save you money because you know where your money is going
2-Pay with cash-it is easy to just swipe a card but if you have cash then all you can spend is what you have
3-Shop
around-check out different places before buying to see where has the best price
4-track your spending-You will realize that sometimes you are spending more then you realized.
5-Put money into savings first, always put money into your savings first before you budget for bills and expenses
6-Drive your car until its dead, instead of always having a car payment once you have paid it off use it as long as you can and get your money out of it
7-Go through bills like cable and internet and see what fees are on the bill, sometimes there can be hidden fees that are over looked. If you find them call the company and ask what they are if it is not something you put on the bill have them take it off.
8-Use a bank that rewards you for baking with them and has a rewards program with your debit card. You earn points when you pay your bills which you can cash in for gift cards.
For Kids
1-Buy convertible carseats instead of the infant car seat and then the convertible, you will only have to buy 1 seat for your child instead of 2.
2-If you know you will have more children save the clothes from the first one.
3-Breastfeed-Formula is expensive
4-Use cloth diaper-You will put out more money up front and do a load or 2 more of laundry but will save a lot
5-Buy used kids outdoor toys, Out door toys can stand up to a lot of use, no need buying new when it is just going to get played with and dirty outside
6-Don't buy more then what you need- especially with new babies it is easy to get caught up in the hundreds of cute outfits, most of which will only be worn once or twice.
7-Rotate clothing with friends, if you and your friends have kids close in age and they are a season or 2 ahead or behind your children share the clothes.
8-Make your own baby food.
9-Go to the Free weekend activities at places like Home Depot and Lowes as a fun saturday morning activity
10-If kids grow to tall for their pants and the waist still fits, cut them and hem them into shorts
11-Skirts that are to short can still be worn by wearing legging under them
12-Skirts that are to short an be made into longer skirts by adding fabric or lace to the bottom
13-Have them make cards for their siblings for birthdays and holidays.
Dining out/Going Out-
1-Instead of going out for dinner go out for lunch, the lunch menu is almost always cheaper for the same amount of food
2-If you have kids go to places that kids eat free
3-Trade babysitting with friends- instead of paying a sitter trade off with other friends so you can each have date nights
4-Have an ice cream party at home instead of going out for Ice cream- Get all the ice cream and toppings and make them at home
5-Find out if your local grocery store gives FREE vitamins to kids, ours does until they turn 7
6-Buy quality products- instead of buying the cheapest blender you can find that will not last long invest in one that will last you a long time
7-Have water to drink instead of Soda
8-Go to a daytime movie instead of at night, it is normally cheaper before 3 pm
9-Skip the appetizer when dining out, they are expensive for what you get.
10-Eat before you go to the movies so you do not want to eat the snack food
11-Instead of going to a movie you can also do movie night at home.
12-When going to an amusement park pack your lunch in a cooler and go back to your car for lunch, food in amusement parks is very expensive.
Shopping-
1.Buy clothing for the next season at the end of one season. For example buy next years summer clothes at the end of the summer
2-Shop at thrift stores- you can find great prices on things at thrift stores
3-Hit up yardsales during the summer-You can find great deals on outdoor toys like Step 2 and Little tikes stuff at Yardsales
4-Buy in bulk at places like BJ's and Sam's Club the price per item is normally cheaper that way, but not always so pay attention to prices.
5-When shopping online use places like Ebates and Shop at home to get a % back from what you would be spending anyway.
6-Eat before you go food shopping, food shopping when you are hungary will make you buy things only because you are hungry not because you actually need them.
7- Use Craigslist to see if anyone is selling what you are looking for
8-Join your local Freecycle, you can get free stuff and give stuff away that you no longer need that someone else does.
9-Shop your local farmers market for produce
10-Go to U pick farms and pick your own veggies
At home
1-Don't cook more then your family will eat-If your family does not like to eat left overs and things get thrown out only make what you will eat
2-Eat left overs for lunch-make a bit more at dinner the night before and eat them or bring them to work with you for lunch
3-Don't be brand specific- If a different brand then you normally use is cheaper buy that one instead
4-Make fancy meals at home instead of eating out-Steak at the store is much much cheaper then at a restaurant
5-Bundle your services-TV, internet and phone are much cheaper when you use 1 company instead of using different ones
6-Ask for a cheaper rate- When dealing with companies like the cable company tell them you want a cheaper rate and if not you are able to find it else where, they will give you a cheaper rate
7-Use reusable containers to pack lunches instead of sandwich bags and seran wrap
8-Pack your lunch-instead of buying lunch pack and bring it to work with you
9-Plan your shopping-plan what stores you are going to and go in a circle instead of back and forth you will save money on gas
10-Cut back on going to get your coffee from places like Starbucks and Duncan Donuts, instead of going everyday go once a week and the rest of the week make it at home.
11-Buy Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions instead of buying them each month at the store, not only will the price of the magazine be much cheaper, but you will save yourself the money for gas going to the store.
12-Work out at home, buying exercise videos or taking a walk around the block is a lot cheaper then getting a gym membership. Walks can also be a fun family activity.
13-If you do not use your home phone and are only using your cell phone get rid of the home phone.
14-Unplug appliances when you are not using them. This will cut back costs on your electric bill
15-Don't pay for more then what you use, If you only use a few channels then don't pay for the higher priced cable package.
16-Grow your own veggies-You can use hanging pots for this instead of having a garden and it is a great activity to involve kids in
17-Don't buy bottled water, instead get a good quality water bottle and fill it with water. If you do not like your water get a filter.
18-Use 1/2 a dryer sheet instead of the full sheet.
19-Raise your car insurance deductible you will save on your monthly bill and then make sure to have the amount of your deductible in a savings account in case you need it.
20-Turn your heat down, if you are chilly put on a sweatshirt.
21-Buy a deep freezer- Saves money when you can buy meat in bulk at a great price.
22-Cut hair at home instead of a salon. This is really easy to do when you have a son or husband who just shaves their head. Buy a quality set of clippers. To go to the barber it will run about $15 and you can buy a quality razor for about $50.
23-Refinish furniture like dressers instead of buying new. If you have a painted dresser you can easily remove the paint sand it and repaint it.
24-Instead of buying video games use a rental program like GameFly.
25-Buy an SDLR Camera and teach yourself how to use it instead of going to a studio to get your pictures done of your kids.
26-Declutter your house, you will probably find things that you did not know you had that you can use or that you have bought multiples of things. Knowing what you have saves you from buying it again.
27-Check the fluids and tires on your car regularly and keep up with maintance, this will save you in the long run by causing issues to your vehicle that could have been prevented.
28-Turn the lights off in rooms when you are not in them
29-Instead of buying books get a library card and borrow them
30-Buy gifts when you see them on clearance (I do this with lots of christmas presents and have a stockpile of toys for Birthday parties)
31-Plan your meals-less chance of not knowing what to make and getting take out
32-Cook with your crockpot instead of your oven
33-Open the windows and turn out the lights during the day
34-turn off appliances like TVs when no one is wathcing them
35-Use wash cloths instead of paper towels to clean with(designate ones just for it)
36-Run your washer and dryer and dishwasher at night, the cost of electric is lower on off peak hours
37-Only run the washer, and dishwasher when they are full
38-Pay your bills online, save yourself the cost of the stamp
39-Use curtains, in the winter they keep heat in and in the summer they keep heat out, close the curtain on the windows on the sunny side of the house.
40-If you work for a corporation, for example CVS call your cell phone providers to see if they have contracts with them and you can get a discount on your monthly bill, for example a friend of mine works at CVS and gets 20% off her Verizon Wireless bill just for working at CVS.
41-Change your light bulbs to LED lights
42-Get a heating blanket for your bed, put the blanket under your bottom sheet, this way you can turn the heat down and still be warm in your bed
43-Get a digital programable thermasts so you can set the temperatures on your house
44-Get a job at seasonal places to get the discounted employee rate
45-Get a part time job where you shop for clothing to get the employee rate
46-For teeth cleaning check in your area for a dental school, there is not much they can mess up when brushing your teeth and it is sure to be a lot cheaper then a dental visit
47-Go to Cosmetology schools to get your hair done, yes they are students but they are carefully watched and you can save a lot of money going to them instead of a salon.
48-Quit smoking
49-Clean with water and vinegar instead of expensive cleaning products.
50-Hang your towels up after your shower and use them a few days in a row. Save money from washing them each day and you are clean when you get out of the shower so a towel doesnt ever really get dirty.'
51-Keep a kitchen towel in the Kitchen to dry your hands on during the day instead of using paper towels.
For the Ladies
1-Color your hair at home, its much cheaper then a salon and after a few times doing it yourself no one will even know:)
2-Stretch the time between getting your nails done, if you get them done go every 3 weeks instead of every 2
3-Stretch your hair cut, even by just a week, most people won't notice much of a difference and you will save yourself a ton of money
4-Splurge once in a while, yes you heard me splurge on yourself, As a mom we tend to forget ourselves and then we get stressed trying to save money take a bit of pressure and have a budget and splurge for yourself.
For the Men
1-Keep a pair of "work/play shoes" and a pair of nice sneaker, this way the nice ones stay nice and the play ones can get as dirty as they want to and you do not have to keep replacing your good ones.
2-Plan for holidays, last minute shopping for special occasions will cost you a lot more.
Thanks Luxury Living Frugal Style!
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