How I Save Money- A Moms Personal Account
As a stay at home mom, it is important to keep track of your finances and know where all of your money is being spent. I try to spend only on necessities first, (food, mortgage, bills, etc) then see what is left over for leisure spending and saving. Here is a small, personal list of things I do to keep costs down in my family. Try some of these, you could apply them and save money now!
- Plan meals ahead of time. I cook Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I am sure to plan each meal to insure there is enough food for leftovers the following day. If we run out by Sunday, we treat ourselves to a night out.
- Buy in Bulk- I buy certain items in bulk when necessary. Non-perishable foods, diapers, toiletries, and other household items are often cheaper when you purchase large amounts. Then combine these savings with coupons. Marvelous.
- Analyze Monthly Expenses- Are they necessities? I have recently cut down our cable services from $125 to $75 monthly. My hubby didn’t like the idea at first, but he since has not complained.
- Purchase clothing when it is out of season- My son is growing like a weed, so this spring I bought winter clothes! Yep, they were all on sale, so I purchased a size up. I got about $200 worth of clothing for $45, which should last the whole 2009 winter.
- Raised my car insurance deductible- The higher the deductible, the lower your premium. I have a somewhat older car, so it is not really worth it to over pay. Lowered my monthly payment from $103 to $68 (NOTE: If your car is very old, you might be able to drop down to liability coverage only).
- Cancel Landline Telephone Service- We all have cell phones, never use it anyway.
- Analyze/Downgrade Cell Phone Plans- My husband had unlimited everything, text, pictures, internet, the works. Dropped it down to 200 text/picture messages, no internet (we already pay for this at home), and decreased monthly minutes (many unused). A $90 bill went down to $65/mo.
- Make More Money- Face it, you’ve gotta make more to save more! I sell odds and ends around the house on eBay and profit off of affiliate marketing referrals.
