With the beginning of a new year lots of people begin to
think about new year’s resolutions. Even
if they don’t call them such, they at least start to think about ways that they
want to change or things they want to accomplish in the upcoming year. This is a natural time to think this way as
the new year is a new beginning, in some ways, a chance to start over.
Last night I was
thinking about 2013 and how I want to change.
I started writing down some resolutions, basically the same things that
a lot of people write down; spend more time in prayer, eat healthier, exercise
more, be more patient and kind, and be tidier and more organized. Then, this morning I learned that, due to the
“payroll tax” our already not so big paycheck will be getting smaller this
year. Thus, a new resolution has been
added to the list. Figure our more ways
to save money. My goal: save more money
than last year (even though making less money than last year).
Now saving money is
a very important job for a homemaker because in a home where the mom is a
full-time homemaker, they are choosing to live off of one income in a
two-income economy. There are many homes
where the mom does work, not because she wants to, but because they feel that
they cannot afford for her to Not work.
My husband grew up in just such a home.
I am sometimes
slightly amazed when I read some people’s ideas on how to save money. An idea such as “use this app. on your I-phone
to find the best deal in the store” seems a bit incongruous to me. I would reply, “don’t have an I-phone and you
will save even more.” Society tells us that we need to live a
certain way, that there are “things” that we Have to have, things that we Need
in our lives. When my first child was
born, I quickly learned the difference between Need and Want. For example, with
a baby, you Need diapers, but you just Want a changing table; you Need a car seat,
but you Want a baby swing.
In all areas of our
lives, the same rule applies, how much do I truly Need and how much do I just
Want? With this thought in mind, here are ten things that we do in order to
save money.
1.) Some say, “get rid of the landline and just use the cell
phone.” I say just the opposite, “get
rid of the cell phone and get a landline.”
Landlines are cheaper than cell phones and you can often find really
good deals on landlines that include free long distance. But you like to have a cell phone for
emergencies? Get a pay-by-minute, prepaid phone. These are really cheap and
usually the minutes stay on for a year.
Then, if you add even five minutes, the minutes will always roll over to
the next year. Also, except for the very
rare occasion, when are we ever somewhere where there isn’t a telephone that we
can use?
2) Don’t pay for television. Cable television is a HUGE
waste of money, especially as, almost every station posts the shows online
after they have aired. The one luxury that we pay for each month is the
Internet, so if there is something that I really want to watch, I can see it
online.
3.) Don’t buy
convenience foods, make things from scratch.
It is amazing the huge price difference between making something from
scratch and purchasing it ready made from the freezer section. While Patrick was on vacation this week and
we were spending a lot of time with family, I actually bought some convenience
foods and was astounded when I walked out of a store having spent $50 dollars and
only a few items to show for it, because they were convenience foods. Normally,
I cook from scratch and spend $75 a week on groceries. That feeds four people, for seven days, three
meals a day, for one week. With the $50
I spent the other day, it fed us for about three days, just for dinner, and
milk for five days.
4) Cooking from scratch means, menu planning. If you go to the grocery store and you don’t
have a list, you will always go over budget and still not have everything that
you need in order to feed your family for a week. In order to save money, you
must be organized and prepared. *Also,
never shop while hungry or thirsty (thirsty is almost worse) because you will
inevitably end up buying things that you don’t Need.
5) When and if you can, grow it yourself. Produce is one of the most expensive items on
the market, but it is also very easy to freeze, can, or dry for later. Anything
that you are able to grow will save you money down the road. *Also, if you have a rain barrel, you can
save money on watering your garden.
6.) Have a clothesline.
The months that you can dry your clothes outside is a huge money saver
(especially if you are somewhere like AZ where you can practically do it all
year long.) The months where I used a
clothesline rather than my dryer, I saved an average of $20 a month on my
electric bill.
7.) Purchase items, such as Christmas cards or decorations,
or Halloween candy during after holiday sales.
The first year I sent out Christmas cards I didn’t do this, and I paid
$18 on three boxes of cards. After
Christmas that year I purchased cards for the next year, they were even nicer
than the ones that I had just sent out, and they cost me $8 for four boxes. I did the same thing with Halloween candy,
the first year that I didn’t buy it on sale, $12 dollars for three bags, buy it
on sale, $5 for three bags, and I always buy something like Skittles so that
they taste just fine the next year.
8) Shop for Christmas presents all year long, and only shop
sales. If you only think about what you
are going to buy people in the months of November and December, you will end up
paying much more for items that you could probably have found on sale earlier
in the year. Also, if you start thinking
about it sooner, then you might be able to make some things and save even
more. This of course requires lots of
organization so that you don’t buy something and then forget that you have it.
9) Shop consignment sales.
The only thing that I purchase new for my children is shoes for my five
year old (because he is older it is really hard to find shoes in good
condition). Everything else, I buy at
consignment sales, and I always shop at the consignment sale on the second day,
where everything is half off. (If I didn’t
see what was there the first day, than I don’t know what I have missed out on
and I’m not disappointed.) They also
sell maternity clothes at these sales, so I always browse to see what they have
(whether I am pregnant or not). The nice
thing about maternity clothes is that they usually come in one of four sizes
(small, medium, large, or xlarge). When
my eldest was 1 year old I bought a pair of maternity jeans for $5. I didn’t get pregnant again until he was 3 ½ and
I wore those jeans almost all the time that entire pregnancy.
10.) Be as organized as possible. Keep track of what you have in your home,
cleaning supplies (vinegar is a great, cheap household cleaner, and I like how
it smells), toilet paper, paper towels, napkins (cloth napkins are also a nice
little way to save money), soap, shampoo, food, etc. Watch for sales and purchase items when they
are on sale. Then keep enough on hand so
that you do not have to pay full price for things. Also, Unless it is an
amazing sale, NEVER purchase household items in the grocery store, they are almost
twice as expensive as at stores like (as much as I hate to say it because I hate
this store) Walmart.
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