Some people don't have access to the Sunday paper. Some places don't take coupons. Some people feel they have no time for coupons or that they wouldn't remember to use them even if they took the time to cut them out. So today I want to focus on ways to save money other than clipping & saving & organizing & remembering to use coupons.
One way to get ahead is to make sure you are not using more than you need to. Sometimes people waste a lot with out even knowing it. Take water for example, I am on well so I don't think about my water as being a bill but really I should because when I take a 30 minute shower I have to factor in the electric from the hot water tank & the water pump. But thinking in simple things, you can save a lot in water if you turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Also we have to think about where we can sacrifice & when we can't. When we wash our hands, we have to make sure they are clean so if you have to leave the water on for a little longer than that would be ok. Another thing to think of is electric, if you are not in a room it is ok to turn off the fan & light. Hook it up to a switch and you can just flip it off as you walk out of a room. I also think of food as sometimes being a waste. If you don't eat all of the food you made for dinner & you know you are not going to be in the mood for it tomorrow than think of freezing the left over. That will be a good way not to waste and so the next night you don't know what to make, you can have left over night with all those left overs in the freezer. I also take all my left over veges and ziplock bag them together so when I want to make a big pot of soup, I can just open the bags and pour them in.
In our family we also save money by doing our own hair cuts. I am the barber of my house and it seems to work out just fine. We also take care of our own lawn. My husband is wonderful, he keeps it mowed, trimmed, and so on. We groom our dogs & bird instead of paying someone else. I also rarely pay for a babysitter even though I am extremely picky who watches my kids. I find someone who I trust such as family or a friend who I can trade babysitting with. You shouldn't ever trade safety of your children for money! If you are going to town to run errands think ahead so you don't have to make many trips. Gas is a big one to save since you never know when they will be raising prices. We also wash our own cars. We eat at home almost all of the time. I try not to buy too many foods in boxes and make it from scratch. You would be surprised how much money you could save just by making a couple more meals at home. Flour & sugar is going to be cheaper since you can use it over and over again. The boxed meals are ok but they will feed your family for only one meal. Also I homeschool my oldest, I have never paid a bunch of money on high priced curriculum. My favorite place to get materials is www.freecycle.org or thrift stores. Free or very cheap! I also like to trade or borrow from friends. You could even go on ebay or other websites.
If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate. There will be lots more on this subject!
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