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In this economy it is getting harder and harder for some families to make ends meet. There are articles galore on how to survive the economy, but many of those aren't for people that are really in trouble. If you've had to take a different, lower-paying job, or if you were used to living on two incomes and you are now living on just one, or if higher prices are just sucking you dry, then you aren't concerned about stock portfolios, you just want to survive every day. And you might not know how you can do such LITTLE THINGS to save BIG.
There are a lot of things that real families, in real trouble can do to pinch a penny and it will not hurt a bit. Save on Your Utilities, Cable and Phone Services We've all heard this one before, but I am going to mention it, because it is important. Raise your thermostat a few degrees in the summer and lower it in the winter. This can really add up to a lot of savings over a year's time! If you have a home phone, plus cell phones, ditch the home phone. You are paying a bill that has become completely unnecessary. And if you have astronomical cell phone bills due to overages, then consider a prepaid service. Prepaid isn't what it once was. It is much better and smarter now. Most companies have some excellent prepaid plans that have unlimited options in regards to text messaging, nights and weekends, mobile to mobile, and other unlimited features. Of course with these plans you don't usually get roll-over minutes, but you don't get ANY surprises when it is time to pay the bill each month either. If you have Cricket service in your area, then check that one out first. It is perfect for teens! If you don't have a water-saving shower head on the shower, then invest in one. If you don't have the money to invest in one (and many people just don't right now), you can still save a ton of money by turning the water on only half way when you shower (or at the sink when you wash your hands). There is no reason to have the faucet going "full blast". You can get just as clean on half the water. You are literally letting your money go down the drain. And never leave the water running while brushing your teeth. It actually takes more water to fill a tub for a bath than it does to take a short shower. But don't take hot showers. Very hot water dries your skin out anyway, and it uses way more energy.
Take lukewarm showers and use a kitchen timer, especially for the kids. If you want to be really frugal, turn the shower on and wet yourself down, turn it off and soap up, shampoo, shave, etc., then turn it back on and rinse off. If you don't have a water-saving toilet, and again, if you have no money to invest in one, you can still save water with every flush. Take a 16-32 oz shampoo bottle and fill it with gravel, sand or water and put it in the back of the toilet tank. This will make the toilet "think" the tank is full and it will stop running more quickly and you will use less with each flush. Try flushing after placing it in the tank and if there isn't enough water to flush properly, simply remove a little of the sand from the bottle and place it back in the tank. Keep emptying it a bit at a time until you have enough water to make the toilet flush completely.
Run the clothes washer and dishwasher only when full and on the shortest possible cycles. If your clothing or dishes aren't heavily soiled there is no need to run either machine on a full cycle. And never wash any clothes in hot water. Warm will work just fine for heavy soil, and for anything else use only cold water. And ALWAYS rinse in cold. Never use heat dry on the dishwasher. Once the rinse cycle is finished, prop the door open with a plastic tumbler or bowl to let the steam escape and dry the dishes. Add 1/2 to 1 cup cheap baking soda to your washing machine and use 1/2 the detergent. Check your clothes in the dryer half way or ¾ of the way through the drying cycle. You may be able to use much less time than you currently do. You should also have an "automatic" cycle on your dryer that will run only until clothes are dry, also cutting down on the length of time that the dryer is running.
If you don't have any family members that suffer from allergies, hang your clothes out on a clothesline; especially sheets, blankets, rugs, cloth diapers, etc. Not only will you save money, but they will smell wonderful when you remove them from the line! Drop your cable service to just basic and your cable internet to the slowest speed. Even the slowest broadband is just as good as or even better than what most people need on a daily basis. If you must have your movies, either borrow from the library or use a mail service such as Netflix. We have Netflix and we LOVE it. Not only do you get movies shipped to your door, they have over 14,000 of them that you can watch online FREE, as part of your already paid service. I can't say enough good things about it! And the best part, no late charges when you forget to return a movie!
Pay your utilities, cable and rent on time. I know that one can be tough, but if you will look closely at your bills, most charge late fees of $10, $25 or even more when they are late. Do your best to get on track and stay on track and you could save yourself several hundred dollars a year! TURN IT OFF! I have walked through my house and found three of our televisions all on, all on the same channel, and only one of them being watched! If you are watching the same thing, do it in the same room. And when you aren't watching, turn it off. Turn off thing such as printers, computers, CD and DVD players, or any electronic item you are not using. Don't leave your cell phone plugged in after it tells you that the phone is charged. And, ALWAYS turn off lights and lamps when you are not in the room! Use nightlights on sensors so that they go off during the day on their own and come on when it gets dark.
If you or your kids must have the TV on to fall asleep, always use the timer so that it will shut off after you have fallen asleep. Save When You Spend Don't buy refills for your foaming hand soap bottles when you can make it yourself. Save the bottles, then buy regular store-brand liquid soap, place 2 tablespoons in the bottle, fill the rest with water and shake it up. This is a great way to get your kids to use much less body wash in the bath too! Just save your foaming bottles and use their liquid body wash in place of the liquid soap.
Buy store brand products whenever possible. Many things such as sugars (granulated, powdered and brown), cooking oil, flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, spices, noodles, cream soups for cooking, and many, many other items are just a waste of money at name brand prices. Skip the brand-name boxed cereals and get the bagged cereals (which are still name brand). My kids liked them better anyway and the price difference is amazing. When you do insist on a name brand, visit the website of the brand and sign up for money saving offers and coupons. Canned vegetables tend to be cheaper AND healthier than frozen or even fresh because they are cooked right in the can. All of the vitamins stay in the vegetables rather than being boiled or baked out of them.
You will save a lot of money on meat if you use them in soups, stews and casseroles, rather than cooking and serving each family member an entire steak, for example. Use half the steak, and make beef and noodles with off brand noodles and brown gravy mix. Scour the internet for other great recipes, tips and ideas. If you have the time and inclination, learn to cook in bulk and freeze the meals. Buy off-brand lawn and leaf bags, instead of name brand garbage bags. Lawn and leaf bags tend to be higher density and the cheap lawn and leaf bags are usually as good as the name brand trash bags. Better yet, if your city is like ours and offers single-sort recycling, take full advantage of it! You will use fewer trash bags and do something so good for the environment! If your city doesn't have a recycling program, try to get them to start one. I put out 2 to 3 times as many recyclables as I do trash because of our program. That saves me on the bags, and I am doing my part for the environment. Keep your plastic bags from the grocery store and use them as trash can liners in your small trash cans, or to put wet towels and swimsuits in when you go to the pool or beach. They have a ton of uses if you use your imagination. Keep your kids entertained this summer by getting them library cards and taking advantage of the summer programs they provide. Some cities also have "free movies in the park" nights. Ask your local chamber of commerce if your city does that and see if you can get a schedule.
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When you buy clothing, buy wash and wear ONLY. It doesn't matter how much it is marked down, it is NOT a bargain if it has to be dry cleaned or takes an hour to iron it! For your kids, in the summer, at many places, such as Walmart, you can buy mix and match poly-cotton shorts and tops for as little as $2.50 to $3 each. You can get an entire outfit for $5-$6. Better still, when your child has a birthday, limit the toys and have everyone give them clothing as gifts. My great-nieces love to get clothes as gifts and I can buy them several of the mix and match outfits and it is a big help to my niece and her husband when it comes to clothing her kids. With all the kid's gadgets and games these days, invest in rechargeable batteries in all sizes. The cost is not that much more in the initial investment and it will save a ton of money in the long run this summer and from now on! Use your hair conditioner for shaving cream. I started doing this to alleviate my dry skin, and it not only works great for that, it is a cheap shaving cream. Buy a cheap off brand and use it just for shaving.
Stop eating out completely and take your own coffee and lunch to work. A cup or thermos of coffee from home with some flavored creamer is much cheaper that buying Starbucks on the way to work, and a sandwich brought from home can save you $50 a week or more! You could buy a week's worth of groceries for your family for what you are spending on eating out for lunch! I do believe for the most part that you get what you pay for, so when you have to make an important large purchase, research all options and don't necessarily go for the cheapest every time because you may get something that you will have to replace in no time. Make sure you are spending wisely by doing your homework first and finding the best price on the best quality you can afford.
Finding Money When You Need It Now If you need extra cash now, clear out the closets and garage and have a garage sale. Ask the neighbors to have one the same weekend and you will all benefit from having more customers. List large items on Craigslist! It is free to list on there! You never know until you try, and it will not cost you anything. You might have something sitting in a closet collecting dust that someone is willing to pay you for today!
Never underestimate the old fashioned "change jar". Every time you pay with cash and get change, bring it home and toss it in a jelly jar. When it is full, take it to the nearest Coinstar. You will be amazed at how much money all those pennies and nickels will add up to. Use the money to buy something you have really been needing for which you didn't have the money, to buy groceries, or to reward yourself just for saving it! And don't forget to check the couch cushions, the bottom of the washing machine or your purses and check your jeans and coat pockets!
If you aren't afraid of needles, sign up to sell your blood or plasma. Do an internet search for your closest bank to find out what they require, then give an hour or two of your time and get paid for it. You won't get rich, but you could make gas or grocery money when you have none and help save lives at the same time! The Bottom Line If you are having a really hard time making it, then implementing these changes now can make a big difference for you. Even if you aren't in a financial bind, you can make many of these changes to save a lot of money and you will have a great sense of accomplishment once you start seeing the difference it can and will make and the resources you can save!
Kandi Traxel is a WAHM and the owner of Shop With a Mom
http://www.shopwithamom.com and the Shop With a Mom Blog
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