Need advice on cutting costs

[lovingthree]

I should probably give a quick re-introduction. I check into rr everyday but do not regularly post. I last posted around a year or so ago, I think. I tend towards heavy duty shyness, even on the internet :)

I'm a stay at home mom of three, dh is our only income except for the little bit I earn for babysitting twice a week. We are already experiencing the effects of the rising food and gas prices. Instead of panic (wanted to just sit down and cry yesterday), I've decided to do the job of finding ways to save our money so that dh can continue to put gas in the car for work. He travels around 40 miles, round trip, for work each day.

I've done some research of my own into frugality and simple living and feel like I'm coming up short :idunno . I know there must be a wealth of information out there somewhere, but I seem to be missing it. So, I'm wondering if any of you have any links or tips you could offer.

I have read up on canning and have begun making my own bread products. I'm particularly interested in reusing things for other purposes and cutting costs at the grocery store.

Anything I can do myself would be a great help. I'm interested in anything and everything so don't hold back lol.

[1CatMom]

:hat

I'm in pretty much the same situation you are in. DH is the main breadwinner and I work part-time and also have my own business.

In addition to canning, I've started making my own laundry soap. It's super easy and very cost effective.

1/3 cup Borax
1/3 cup Baking Soda
1/3 Ivory Liquid (I use dish soap but others also use the liquid hand soap)
1/3 cup lemon juice (optional)
Enough hot water to make a gallon.

Mix well and use 1/2 to 1 cup per medium/large load of laundry. :thumb

[Michele93]

Shopping at places like Aldi, Big Lots, and buying store brands ought to help some. When products are available in several sizes it is not always the largest size that is the best deal...if you look at the unit price you may find, like I have, that smaller sizes are sometimes the better deal. When I have to go somewhere I try to do all that I need to in that area of town. For example, yesterday I had a meeting in the city, after that I went a few blocks to register for a CPR class I need to take, then went to the store. If I had gone out of the house three times I would have used more gas ($3.999 here). Paying bills online saves the 42 cents a postage stamp costs. It may only be pennies I am saving, but they add up.

Michele

[deemeister02]

I too have to watch my budget closely. There are a few things I do that do make a difference.

-When I want to go grocery shopping I look at the deals of the week and mostly plan my meals around them. I also look for groceries in places other than the mainstream grocery store. I can find food cheaper sometimes at our department stores. That goes the same for other things as well. Like clothes and such. I find if I am always looking for deals then I am bound to find deals quite a bit. I love the clearance areas in our stores.

-Coupons are important to use. I sign up to receive mailings from some of the major companies. Often my coupon amount is higher than normal.

-I bake a lot of things myself. I find I can bake a lot more cookies that what I would pay for a package of store bought cookies.

-I find that the less processed stuff I buy the more money I save in the store. So I try to make a lot of dinner stuff from scratch too.

-Dollar stores here in Canada where I live have lots of brand name things. I shop for a lot of things there.

[lovingthree]

Thank you for the laundry soap tip 1CatMom. It's appreciated. My son plays baseball, my daughter plays softball and it seems like there is a game almost every night. I'm always trying to keep up with their uniforms and find myself doing more laundry than usual because of it. This will make a difference :thumb

Michele93, my MIL tried explaining the unit price buying to me once and I'm afraid I wasn't grasping it very well. I did let her know this and she's going with me on my next grocery trip to go over it again. I think it may have been the explanation, so I hope it will go differently this time. DH and I have also discussed managing our trips in the car to use less gas. I hadn't been out for a few days, so when I went out last night to one of the kids games, I nearly fell over at the prices for gas. I had been watching online but it's very different first hand :faint

deemeister02, I'm very interested in menu planning. I also just used excel to make a list of the foods we regulary use so that I can print out a list with quantities needed and the store that has the cheapest price. That way I won't buy what I don't "need". Also, I'm no longer going to take the kids with me if I can help it. I buckle when they ask for something out of the norm because we don't often indulge in extra treats unless I make them myself at home.

How do you get on the mailing lists for coupons? Do I just search for the major companies and sign up on their website?

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate this. Except for the few times I've worked, we've pretty much always lived on a lower than normal income. If I had known or thought of doing these things in the past, it wouldn't have seemed so tough. At least I know now, right.

[Mrsppmrxky]

When you are cooking, try to double up on the cooking.

If you are baking a roast, also put things in the oven that will cook during the same time. If I cook a beef roast, then I put a chicken in at the same time and cook them together. This cuts down on the power needed to heat the oven.

If you do not make your rice in the oven (350 for 1 hour) You can put a steamer plate on the pot and cook the veggies at the same time.

Stop buying paper towels. Use cloth napkins. I have found that if I do fry something, I can just put it on a rack over a dish to drain the excess off. I have quit purchasing paper towels altogether. I used to purchase about 2 rolls per week.

For those dishes that you love from certain places, check via google for a clone recipe. You can make it for the entire family for cheaper than the price for 1 to dine out.

[Legacy]

I go to www.mysavings.com (http://www.mysavings.com) and there are tons of free samples of products you can sign up for. A lot of them come with coupons, or are coupons. They also have an coupon section where you can choose the ones you want and print them. There aren't many there I use, but that's the best way I can find to get them. We live an hour from town and can't get a Sunday newspaper delivered without it costing an arm and a leg. My intent with mysavings.com was to try to get on some mailing lists for coupons. I remember years ago, I somehow got on a list that sent out this huge package of coupons each month. Wish I could get on that again, but not sure they have anything like that anymore. :idunno I don't suggest signing up for samples that ask for your phone number, though. I'm going to start skipping them as suddenly I've been "signed up" for all sorts of work from home deals and get daily phone calls about it. Grr...

Here's a thought for chicken. We love chicken (and have started raising our own). I have a clay pot I bake them in...they come out real juicy. So after we've had chicken for dinner, I throw what's left (along with the bones and juices) in a container in the fridge for the night. I don't normally have the time or energy for it that night. The next day, I put the chicken remains along with carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and spices in a big pot and boil it for a couple hours. I strain the juice off into a large bowl, debone the chicken, and throw the meat and juice in a crockpot with a bean mix (I make this myself, combining different beans--navy, pinto, black, etc, whatever is on the shelf at the store, along with split peas) and set it on low for the day. We then have a chicken bean soup that will usually last us two meals with some left to freeze for a lazy day. One chicken can go a ways.

Do you have a vacuum sealer? The bags are expensive, but in the long run this whole thing pays for itself over and over and we have very little spoilage because of it. Just last night we got a super deal on hamburger in the big rolls. I cut them off into one pound chunks and vacuum sealed it. Filled the whole bottom drawer in the big freezer. We're good to go for hamburger for a while.

[acceptedinthebeloved]

I'm not sure if I'll be of much (specific) help to you, but I am greatly interested in the topic of "frugality", as we have nine children, and only my husband's income.

I'm not as sharp on the grocery skills as I used to be, since my eldest daughter took over that task several years ago (plus, my husband really LIKES to do the bulk grocery shopping, too! By the way, they do a GREAT job of it!) So, I won't be of much help there.

My tips lie more in other areas.
I try to severely limit purchases of "new" items, preferring to shop for anything I can find "used." Many people like yard-saling, but I find that to be too time-consuming. I prefer thrift stores, but the thrift stores in my large city are much nicer and bigger than in many of the smaller cities. The department stores give TONS of new items to the thrift stores, during certain seasons, so I try to go then, especially.
Shopping online can sometimes help you find the cheapest price on something (used or new.)

I try to stick with my general rule of thumb, which is "only pay 10% of what it would cost new." Sometimes I go over that, but it's a nice goal to shoot for!
I buy everything from clothing, housewares, craft items (yes, new), linens, books, to office supplies at the thrift stores. Just about everything except socks and underwear, pretty much! I think we've been able to clothe our nine children for the price of ONE! :lol2 I can't tell you the numerous times the Lord has provided "just the thing we needed" in this way. So amazing! :yeah

"Stocking up" (very cheaply) on items I foresee needing helps to cut down on "emergency" and "impulse" and "buying-it-at-higher-cost-later" items. This only works if one has a place to "stock" the items (in an organized way so they can be found), and it takes a bit of time to build the stock in the various areas of need. This is just a long-term kind of project.

I like to buy my paint at Lowe's at their "clearance table." $5-$10, instead of $25-$50/gal. I just list this to maybe prompt other ideas along these lines.

Doing your own haircuts (I cut my girls' hair - one reason why they wear it long :lol2... and used to cut the boys' hair, and probably will resume that.)

Some ladies I know get together and do bulk-shopping, or rotate the task amongst themselves. One buys in bulk (cheaper), and then they split it, each paying their share.

The others have shared some great ideas!
These are just a few of mine... Hope it helps someone. :wave

[Galoutofdixie]

Hi there! :wave

Someone else posted this site a while back. I checked it out and thought it was great!

Lot's of good ideas and recipes for saving money on all kinds of household items. Many recipes for making convienience type foods like seasoned rice mix, muffin mix and other baking mixes yourself. That alone saves quite a bit from the pre-packaged store brands. Check it out! :thumb

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm

[deemeister02]

What happened to me to get my coupons is I signed up for mailing lists and such on the main sites. Some sites even have coupons you can print out right away.

It really seems like such a learning experience all the time to save money. I always am trying new ways to stretch our income. But you know I really do not mind. It is kind of fun to see how far I can stretch things.