Happy Marching
I am pleased to report that I am on the mend. I started taking some meds and they are kicking in and doing their magic. It was a long haul of sick bringing me down and my apologies for bellyaching about it!
So moving on to my new monthly goal.
To recap my monthly goals- January was housekeeping and February to make a quilt. My housekeeping is still a priority though took a bit of a back seat the last few weeks b/c of the sick. My quilt is not totally finished but I am really pleased with my progress and looking forward to finishing it up.
March. I've thought a lot about March and here is what I have come up with, March is budget month. We are keeping a tally of every penny we spend and there will be much cost comparison. The goal is to determine where we can shave off some dollars and to develop a savings plan. We have savings already for retirement and education but nothing for things like clothes or home furnishing. It's getting a bit desperate in those departments! We spend a insane amount on groceries and it will be the most studied.
This idea comes from Mother of Chaos, (I'm not the only one getting ideas from someone else's blog right?) she's working towards a year of living below their means. I loved the idea but wasn't sure I could handle a whole year. The plan is to start small. I was also introduced to The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, a wealth of ideas for scrimping and saving. Some of the ideas are totally outrageous but lots are very practical and just require a little elbow grease.
As I make my way through this text of home economics I've been pleased to discover that I am, in fact, thriftier than I thought. So I thought to kick off my month of fiscal responsibility I'd encourage a little sharing.
What are you doing to say a few pennies??
I'll start, 'K.
Almost all of the books we read are from the library or borrowed from friends
I make bread
I rip bounce sheets in 2, only using 1/2 a sheet per dryer load
Pizza night is always a homemade pizza, with homemade dough
We use compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and turn lights off when not using them, which is reaaally hard for me
Buy some of the kids clothes at the second hand shop, especially stuff to play outside
Most of our bills are paid online, saving the postage to mail in a cheque
Buy in bulk when I find a good sale, I also shop at bulk food stores
We bake all our muffins and cookies and but very little prepared foods
Anyone else want to play?
10 comments:
I suck at money management. So does my husband. Before we were married, I did pretty well managing my own salary and had savings and investments and no debt (and no kids, no mortgage, and very few expenses). Now all the money is funneled through him and I have no idea where it goes. We waste an enormous amount, I know, but aside from the obvious (travel, restaurants, and yarn), I don't know where. Now I'm depressed.
I'm with Suzanne. I/we suck at money management too. Sigh. I did use two coupons today, though.
I suck at looking at what I spend my money on. I need to improve. But I do some of the same things you do. I prefer home-made. I am getting better at using leftovers (they last a really long time, sometimes that is the hardest thing I do—make something creative and appetizing out of leftovers). I tell everybody to buy the kids clothes for their birthdays and Christmas, so I don't have to spend a lot to get it up to snuff (the kids are really going to hate that one later on in life). I make my daughter wear boots a tad too small so I can stretch and buy a new pair next year (I am feeling really badly about this one since it is really hard for her to get them off)
Thats a good game.. I'll have to think on that one.. a lot of the thing you do I do too
We have an "envelope system" or a "cash" system. Every month hubby gets a paycheck we pull out a wad of it and squirrel it away into a bunch of envelopes, that way the money isn't sitting in the bank calling my name to take it to H&M or something. Along with this system, you have to create a budget, so i took a spreadsheet (blank copy from a friend) and listed all monthly expenses, fixed, variable and such, and WOW it's a real eye opener. I think it's hard to cut costs untill you realise how much your spending....like the grocery bill. It;s a great way to stash cash monthly for things like Christmas, birthdays, hair appointments, clothes, enteratinment, etc...
A few money-saving tips we do; -we can't order in or eat out or rental if the entertainment envelope is empty, we try to doit ourselves first (ie; renovating, repairing something rather than throwing it out, look on Ebay or Craig's list to comparasin shop, I use baking powder & vinegar to wash with, vinegar in a spray bottle for cleaning, towels instead of paper towels, if it's yellow it mellows- plus a low flush toilet, tankless hot water heater, insulated the basement , purchased a high-efficeny furnace, cook larger meals that can be split into two, swap clothes with a friend, buy second-hand kids clothes (if not sewing them), eat at the in-laws as much as possible :), purge & sell things or give them away....pay bills on time, drive the car instead of the truck, buy no name brands (when taste is not heavily compromised) & shop at Food basics.
Whew, Heather
Some things are worth the extra money, like buying all my food at one or two places instead of 5 places in order to save money. My time is money, and I take that into consideration as well.
I'm grateful for the bags of outgrown but gently used clothes I received for the girls. I can find jeans that fit me well at a consignment shop. I don't spend a lot of money on clothes, shoes, or makeup, But I will spend money on a good haircut.
I do make my own bread but only for comfort, not for sustenance, now that I'm working. My crockpot, and giant bags of frozen chicken are my friends. I menu plan. I take my own lunch to work.
I try to pay for all my groceries out of a cash budget. I spend less when I'm adding in my head and not relying on my debit card to bail me out if I go over budget. Less impulse purchases that way. And I try to go to the store without hubby and kids. They equal impluse purchases times 4!
We still get our TV with rabbit ears, shh, I know everything's going digital. We just don't watch enough of it to justify paying for a gadzillion channels.
We use fluorescent bulbs and have cut our electric bill in half, no kidding. Of course, I still leave the lights on all the time.... Dark houses creep me out. See, I'll pay extra money not to feel creepy.
I'm not perfect and I'm not one to go to extremes. I'll save money where things don't matter, and spend on conveniences that are important to me.
i go through phases. some times i am truly thrifty and all budgety, (i do realize that is probably not a word.:) ) and sometimes i just can't help myself, and splurge!
we ALWAYS use cloth napkins. and if i am on top of it, they use the same one all day. i bet those fabric scraps of yours are just screaming to become napkins!!!
Wow, many good ideas here. I don't know what I'd do without all my niece's and friend's kids' hand-me-downs. Many things look hardly worn, esp. when they've only been worn by 1 child. I love to keep the cycle going by returning the favour with my good kid's stuff.
I buy some items (that aren't in good shape passed down) like boots and snow suits about right now, in next yr's size, then I'm also ready for next yr, no frantic rush to find kid's boots.
Did you know that Zellers (and Sears) has a great policy where you bring back damaged kid's clothes (no receipt needed if it's their store brand), and they give you a new matching item, same size? This really is great for my boys' pants. When the older one wears out his pants(the knees!), the younger one gets to grow into the new replacement.
Other than that I've discovered that No Frills is worth the drive (but I agree with lydee, my time's not worth driving to 3 diff't stores either, that's crazy) and we looove our library (walking distance to boot). My husband spends 2 hours a day in a car commuting to work - not helpful, but he tries to carpool at least twice a week.
During the spring and all summer we hang up our laundry on our huge clothes line (no personal items). Sometimes towels are dry in 15 minutes. I fold it as I put it in the basket so it's ready to be put away, a real time-saver.
OH - I am recycling some yarn into a new sweater, does that count?
Wow, well, I can tell you where my money goes...does that count? I spend way too much money on clothes...but, it is my job, and I am in the industry (see how I justify!)
I do, however, unplug everything in the store at night, pay almost all of my bills online, yikes, this is painful, I will have to think more on this...
Sometimes we do real good and other times not so good.
Some great ideas here!!
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