Now that the US government is on the verge of financial ruin, let's discuss being frugal, shall we?
I was frugal back when frugal was called 'tightwad'. Or 'cheapskate'. And I married a man who was even a tighter wad than me. You could practically hear the squeaking when our collective tightness got together. But I digress...
There are some things I do on a regular basis that help our family save money. Here are a few:
1. Never use a credit card. We don't even own one. We do have a bank debit card for transactions online or booking hotel rooms. And for those of you who may live under a rock, the bank debit cards withdraw funds directly from your checking account. There is no interest. And all God's people said "Amen".
2. Buy used whenever you can. I frequent the local used bookstore for curriculum. I shop at Goodwill frequently for clothes. (Get over yourself-once you buy brand new clothes and put them on they are USED too. Although I will admit I don't buy anything I can't wash in hot water when I get it home.)
3. Use a clothesline to dry laundry. Yes, it's inconvenient. But so is forgetting about the dried clothes in the dryer and pulling the whole wrinkled mess out of the dryer and then running it through AGAIN to get the wrinkles out. Or forgetting to turn ON the dryer and having to wash the whole load again because they smell like a locker room. I know I am not the only one who has done this!
4. Plan menus and grocery shop from the menus. This avoids unnecessary purchases-you only get what you need for those menus and that's it. It also helps you remember why you bought those green peppers in the first place. OH- and frozen chopped onions and bell peppers are awesome! They cost a fraction of what fresh costs and when used in a soup or sauce, no one is the wiser.
5. Cook at home. You get healthier meals and it is SO MUCH CHEAPER. Plus you save on gas driving to restaurants. And it's a great opportunity to include your kids in the cooking process.
6. Did you know you can set up your mortgage to pay one extra payment a month that goes directly to the principle of the loan? You can.
What about you? What are some of your money saving tips? I'd love to hear them!
Love it!
ReplyDeleteI roast a lot of chickens and turkeys for easy meals, loads of leftovers and making chicken broth/turkey soup. Stock up on them when they go on sale! I've bought whole chickens as cheaply as 37c a lb!
I'm not a huge couponer as I am not a huge processed food consumer, but I will check Southernsavers.com before heading out to shop - it will tell you what's on sale at all the grocery stores that coupons make even better.
Instead of eating out, we like to make fancy meals "in": like steaks, gourmet pizzas, salmon - all for less than a fast food meal, and so much better! My husband's latest experiment: homerolled sushi! It's super yummy and a fraction of the cost of anything we'd buy elsewhere!
Lisa Wineandcheeselover Wheeler