Becca at Becca's Buzz hosts the meme Give-Me-Five Monday. It's a way to share a list of five things based on the topic she gives us. Today she says, "Give Me Five tips and tricks to save money or cut corners to stretch your budget."
1. Grocery Shopping - Before you leave the house to get those groceries, plan your menu for the week (at least tentatively) and make a list of what you need for the week. My husband is the worst in this area. I find that if I have a weekly list, and I stick to it, I save money. I can check the pantry and the frig before I go so I don’t unnecessarily duplicate items. Clip coupons, too, but only for items that you are going to buy whether you have a coupon or not. And don’t go to the grocery store when you are feeling hungry. You’ll buy more.
2. Go Wireless – We are considering getting rid of our land line completely. Everyone in the family has a cell phone, and we have a great rate for our plan, so this will be an easy way we can save $50 a month. No one we want to talk to ever calls us on the land line, so it’s purposeless.
3. Movies – Try checking out a DVD from your local library instead of paying the national chains to rent a movie for a night. The library lets you keep a DVD for one week, and it’s free! You may not get the first-run movies right when they come out, but if you are patient, they will come in. You can also reserve books and movies online so that you don’t have to make the trip to the library until you’re sure your movie is there.
4. Carpool – This is an obvious choice for someone like me. On my block alone, we have 9 kids who attend the same intermediate school, not to mention dozens of others in our neighborhood. We don’t get bus service from the school district, but it’s not a pleasant stroll, either, so we take turns getting the kids to and from school each day.
5. Energy Savings – Turning down your hot water heater from 140 to 120 degrees can save you 6-10% on your water heating costs.
2. Go Wireless – We are considering getting rid of our land line completely. Everyone in the family has a cell phone, and we have a great rate for our plan, so this will be an easy way we can save $50 a month. No one we want to talk to ever calls us on the land line, so it’s purposeless.
3. Movies – Try checking out a DVD from your local library instead of paying the national chains to rent a movie for a night. The library lets you keep a DVD for one week, and it’s free! You may not get the first-run movies right when they come out, but if you are patient, they will come in. You can also reserve books and movies online so that you don’t have to make the trip to the library until you’re sure your movie is there.
4. Carpool – This is an obvious choice for someone like me. On my block alone, we have 9 kids who attend the same intermediate school, not to mention dozens of others in our neighborhood. We don’t get bus service from the school district, but it’s not a pleasant stroll, either, so we take turns getting the kids to and from school each day.
5. Energy Savings – Turning down your hot water heater from 140 to 120 degrees can save you 6-10% on your water heating costs.
Every little bit helps!
If you're interested in paying down debt, staying on a budget, or saving money for the long term, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace.
Excellent advice. I loved your comment about not going to the grocery store hungry. Right on the money. Just a little thought can save lots of money. Have a great GM5. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat list.
ReplyDeleteIf you have an electric water heater, invest in a timer. It cuts your bill in half!
OK off my soapbox.
Every little bit does help, it all adds up! Great list, I love the reminder about going to the store hungry, it's sooo true!!!!!!!! I gave my land line phone up a long time ago, when I got the high speed internet. If you used a satelite dish and they tell you it has to use the phone line, just research another company who doesn't have to use it. It costs me an extra $5 a month for not having a land line phone, but that actually saves me $45 for getting rid of the land line! LOL I hadn't thought of using the library for viewing DVDs, brilliant idea! Of course, I'm covered from now until New Years Eve because McDonalds ran a special where you got a free code for the Red Box machine with the purchase of a big drink (which was on sale for $.89, btw) so I have like 20 of those to use up by the end of the year, that's an average of 1 a week just about! :)
ReplyDeleteIalways go out to breakfast before the trip to the grocery store. Stop by I have somethingfor you.
ReplyDeleteWe got rid of our land line after learning that the police captures this awful serial rapist off of the GPS in his phone. As long as your cell phones are GPS enabled, and your city has GPS equipment, you don't need the land line.
ReplyDeleteWe netflix - which now offers free streaming movies. The selection isn't awesome but their goal is to put their entire collection for stream.
BTW, did you know that coupon users spend 30% more at the grocery store on average? Just a thought.
Great list!
Great list! I sooooooooooooooooo agree. I always shop with a specific list after I menu plan and RARELY do any impulse buys unless I see a really good deal for something I'll need soon anyway and then I'll bulk buy. We also got rid of our long distance and are debating getting rid of the land line all together. We live rurally, so are wavering a bit on that one, but the bill dropped $55 just getting rid of the long distance plan and using the cell phones for long distance.
ReplyDeleteClaudia - that's why I only clip coupons for products I know I would need or buy even if I didn't have a coupon. I think people buy things JUST BECAUSE they have a coupon, things they would not ordinarily buy, so you're spending unnecessarily in the long run. I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your tips; mine are similar. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat savings suggestions!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Linda
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