I've been thinking a lot about budgeting, saving money, and our financial future as a country. I've always been interested in frugality, but it seems lately it's coming more out of necessity rather than enjoyment. It seems harder and harder to get by these days on just one income and it's almost like everyone just expects women to go back to work after they have their babies. I am doing all I can to continue to be a stay at home mom but it's kind of looking grim. So this blog post is about a few things, and I hope I get lots of tips from anyone who reads this.
1. What are some possible things someone can do from home to earn extra money?
2. What are some ways to save money on anything (car insurance, credit card interest, groceries, entertainment, baby clothes) ?
3. What are some of your family's favorite go-to meals? (cheap and easy to make)
4. What are some fun free or cheap things you do as a family for fun?
You can leave a comment and if you think of something later you can leave another comment. Or if you know my email address you can email me. I thought I would start the discussion and tell what I am already doing in an effort to save money/get by. Then if you feel comfortable you can tell me what you do to save money. I really don't want to leave Tato at a daycare so please give tips freely!
To save money I:
Buy the cheap diapers
Breastfeed
Use only half a paper towel at a time
Don't go shopping . . . ever (well except for groceries of course)
Rent movies from the Redbox instead of Blockbuster
Only go see movies in the theater about . . . once every 6 months
Have the lowest minute option on our cell phone plan
Don't have a land line
Don't have cable
Got rid of our WOW accounts . . . (this was mostly out of boredom though, as our Wow accounts were our only form of entertainment and 13 bucks a month for entertainment is actually pretty cheap, we just got sick of the game)
I know it's not a lot, but it's what we're doing now. Now for the things I desperately need help with.
Ways I am NOT saving money:
I way too often have Terry pick up fast-food on his way home from work
I buy those easy skillet meals which are like 5 bucks a meal (maybe that isn't a lot for a meal for two people, I don't know, is it?)
I buy baby food
Our car is pricey
Our rent is pricey
Most of our spending has to do with food actually. This is why I need tips about cooking for lazies and stuff like that. I'm not sure what I can do about the car and rent, but tips are still appreciated. So I think food is our main problem. We just really like good food. We just don't want to make it ourselves. : ) If you have any motivational tips too, like how to get excited about cooking in addition to recipes, that would be nice too. But really anything you can think of to save money is interesting to me.
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18 comments:
I'm lazy about food too. I have some recipes that I could give you though that are fairly easy. Sometimes when I plan way ahead I prepare a meal the night before, put it in the crock pot and stick it in the fridge. In the morning I just get it our and let it cook all day.
My mom found this cheaper insurance I could get the info on that for you. We thought about switching, but ours is pretty decently priced.
At savers I believe they give you half off on Mondays. You can head into there and find some baby clothes. We've bought some at DI and they work great. Craig and I are trying to plan a trip up to Sugarhouse to go to the DI there. Apparently all the rich people donate their stuff to that one. Anyway. . .you could come or we could try and get you some stuff if we go.
Only use credit cards when in emergency or when you can pay it off right away. I have a zero percent interest card just for emergencies but try to keep my spending to the money I have when at all possible.
For cooking you could try once a month cooking or something less extreme. Rope Terry in on his day off and spend the day cooking then split up and freeze into dinner portions. Ronny and I did this when we were first married and it really did save $$ because we bought for those meals and we had them ready to go whenever we didn’t have time to make a meal. Another spin on this is you could get together with a friend and cook a few meals and each have some to take home for the week or freeze up and use later. Fast food does add up quick though. The skillet meals $5 for 2 people isn’t terrible but it would be cheaper if you cooked your own meals especially since those skillet things don’t always include the meat.
Make your own baby food. That will save money and it’s so easy! Steam the veggies and then use a small food processor or blender to smooth it out and there you go…then put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen transfer to freezer zip locks and label and then when you need some baby food just take a cube out and thaw it (takes like 15 seconds in the microwave) and there you go. Once you make a few different types you’ll have a bunch of variety. So you can definitely save that way.
Another way to save with regards to baby items and sometimes is joining freecycle. There are several in this area but I haven’t used them quite yet. I know in California people freecycle all kinds of things. And you can place a wanted add for clothes or whatever it is you need and someone might just have what you need. Same goes for consignment shops and thrift shops (though these do cost a little $)
As for working from home, that’s what I’ve been doing since Corban was 5 months old. I can help you try to figure out some things if you want? There are customer service jobs, writing, childcare, direct sales, etc., etc., etc. Can’t say it will pay as well as working outside of the home but then you have to figure you won’t be paying for childcare or commute or work clothes, etc. There’s lots of pluses to it.
For entertainment, I am boring…and I don’t do much which is cheap lol sad but true. But I do use mypoints.com. I don’t usually buy anything though if you do then you get points per dollar so if you shop online at all it can come in handy. But I just get their emails and click each one which is usually worth 5 points and do that for a while and finally you can cash out for a gift card to some place (restaurant, store, etc.) I have done it religiously so I have been able to cash out quite a few times in the 4 years I’ve been a member. And it’s always been when I’ve really needed it. Like Corban’s first Christmas we didn’t have a bunch of $$ so I cashed out for a $50 card to target or something and bought him gifts and for his birthday this year I plan to do the same since cash is low right now. You might have to wait for a little bit to get enough points but it’s worth it to me and takes so little time to just click the button on the email to get my 5 points (it’s usually like 20 or so points a day). It’s kind of random but it’s worked for me.
Other than those things I pretty much do what you do. By cheap diapers do you mean target or walmart brand? That's the way to go in my opinion.
Wow, great tips so far! I just got a big crock pot from my mom so I can start learning how to use that. I really like the baby food idea. I had no idea it was that easy. (or at least it sounds easy, we'll see how it goes : ) I also like the spending one day cooking and freezing dinners idea, I think I just need to find a bunch of recipes that freeze well. Anyways, I really like all the advice so far, some stuff I've never heard of that I'll have to check out and stuff I knew about that I just need to make use of!
Oh, and yeah I use Walmart brand diapers. They're like half the price of Huggies.
Here's a couple of links to help you get started. I usually just made one veggie or fruit and froze into cubes so I didn't really use a recipe...I literally just steamed or boiled and then pureed and froze. Then as Corban got older I just gave him a couple different kinds which was easy since they were already in the freezer from previous times. But this site has some mixture recipes you might want to try http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ I am sure there are other sites too. There's also info on how to freeze and things like that.
Here's a once a month cooking site: http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/a/cookOAMC.htm scroll down to the bottom and it says best plans and there are different options you could browse through. I could probably locate the ones I used on my computer but I am lazy right now. The idea though is to make double or triple of the meal so that you can freeze up multiple meals out of one time making it.
Crockpots are cool too, especially in the winter. I have recipes for that too. I'll not be lazy one of these days and get them to you. :)
I do mypoints as well for gift cards for places to eat and such. Really, if you just click the emails and do a few surveys, it adds up nicely without shopping.
I think for meals the biggest thing is planning ahead. If you make a menu, you aren't scrambling. When you get the sale circulars, shop the sales to get your menu. I do the once a month cooking thing every once in a while and I like it. I like stuff in the crock pot as well, there are tons of recipes online.
Is there anyone Terry could carpool with, that would probably help with gas.
I have also used a cash system for groceries-i.e. have an envelop with the money you plan to spend on food that week, then stay within that amount, when it's gone it's gone. I do that with other stuff as well. Maybe put 5.00 in an envelope for gifts throughout the year and Christmas, when it's spent, you are finished shopping.
Budgeting is always a constant thing it seems.
used canned items and one motivaded night make about 30 really good burrito's. put healthy ingredients in them and make sure they taste really good too. Fry them. the next week or so, whenever you want extra food or a meal out of it, just warm up one of your really good burrito's in the microwave.
We also canceled our land-line phones and have eliminated anything at all superfluous in our spending. If we go out to eat, we split a meal and even try to use a coupon with that (the yellow pages has a great coupon section).
As far as baby food, we didn't really buy any other than rice cereal. I can a lot of food in the fall and Courtney eats my canned applesauce, peaches, and green beans. She is old enough to eat yogurt and cottage cheese - two very inexpensive items that are healthy and fill her up. In Idaho, there are orchards that allow you to pick all the fruit you want for free so long as you pick for the church first. So, we didn't pay anything for the peaches and apples we canned last year. Call your local cannery to find out what orchards are near you. Find a friend or family member who has canning supplies and wants to split it with you (canning is much more fun with a friend and the work load is more manageable.)
Other than those foods, Courtney eats what we are eating. You can put what you are eating in a baby food processor or even a blender.
For fun, we invite other couples over for a game night. I also walk over to the park everyday.
To save on food, I like to freeze meals like Christina suggested. I also make sure I double recipes so it feeds us at least two times that week. If I am tired of the dish, I put it in the freezer and eat it a month or two later.
To save on baby clothes, look for consignment stores or gently used stores. In Idaho, we have a store called "Kid to Kid" and "Other Mothers." I buy almost all of Courtney's clothes there. Or, I go to the clearance section of Ross, Marshalls, or Target. If it doesn't have a red tag - don't buy it. I hope this helps! Good luck saving.
I forgot one thing. The best way to save on your food meal is to plan ahead. Make a menu for the week (or next two weeks). Write down all the ingredients you need for those meals. This will avoid the temptation to just go and "pick something up" because you already have a plan and bought the ingredients for a meal (which you don't want to waste). With a little planning and perusing through cookbooks (or even recipes on-line), you can make some great meals and save money too!
Tim and I always buy the 98 cent boxes of rice at walmart and then buy canned vegatables. its a quick two person meal and if you have chicken or fish you can add that to it. There is this website that I love its allrecipies.com it may not be quick and easy recipies but you can type in any food or whatever you've wanted to learn how to make and it brings up a list and they have ratings from people that have tried the recipie. you can also look at all the ingridients to see what you need or if you have everything and it has how long it will take to make and on most of them it gives the nutritional information. I like it because I can look up new things to make.
I thought of a way to make money as a stay-at-home mom. Teach or tutor. You play the piano right? Well, brush up on your skills and start offering lessons (if you have a piano or keyboard). I started tutoring and I just put an add on Craigslist under lessons and services (something like that). I have heard of people walking dogs or starting their own lawn mowing services. Be creative. Remember, you are your best resource! Good luck. (Sorry about commenting so much, I just keep thinking of ideas; I hope they help.)
Hi Alice, this is Deb, Brennon's aunt. One thing that has really benefited us is doing most of our shopping at Costco. Get a membership if you don’t have one already. It is SO worth it. We can go about a month (when we really cut back) sometimes in between visits. We buy all the big stuff there, and then go to the grocery store for the smaller things. And even with that, we really try to buy stuff when it is on SALE. Josh is very anal about our budget. He has to be if we want to keep me home taking care of Noah. If something really is a priority to you, you do what you have to do to make it work right? So… like the other women said, plan your meals. I look around the house at what I actually have, and plan meals that way. I do not look up recipes first. If I do that, it makes me have to go to the store for ingredients. Plan by what you HAVE in the house first.
Also, plant a garden. There are certain “zones” and “regions” in each state for gardening. (which means you can only grow certain things because of the climate) But my husband knows a lot about this. So if you need help, he could give some advice. Our gardens are always huge! And we get so much use out of them. They save us so much money during the summer when produce is so much more expensive. We eat fresh every day, and we also can and freeze much of what comes out of the garden. We make spaghetti sauce and salsa and put them in the vacuum packed freezer bags.(along with other veggies). A garden is a wonderful thing when you want to save money. Sure, it takes money to buy the seeds and plants, but if you think about buying all those veggies and lettuce and whatever at the store, it would be much more. We have an all organic garden. We don’t use any pesticides on our food, which saves money too.
It wouldn't let me post my whole note: Here's the 2nd part :)
We also do a lot of canning. Our pantry is filled with shelves of homemade applesauce, canned peaches and pears, pickles Josh has made from the cucumber from the garden. Buy a canning pot set. They aren’t that expensive. And canning is lot easier then most people think. Go to the several fruit orchards and buy a couple boxes of fruit to can. Canning and gardening is so rewarding and so much better then store bought.
Buy clothes for Violet at consignment shops, or just look for really good deals at the stores. Target, Old Navy & Kohls have really cute and cheap(er) priced clothes. And… take advantage of family buying clothes for the kids. There is nothing wrong with hand-me-downs too (as long as they are in good shape). Noah is 4 months…and I haven’t had to buy ONE piece of clothing for him yet because our families keep sending him stuff.
Make your gift for people. I happen to be very crafty, so I enjoy giving personal gifts. And it usually ends up being cheaper. Yes, I have to buy supplies, but it usually balances out. And I can get several gifts out of those supplies.
We bought one of those big deep freezers to put in our pantry. Josh buys a little extra (pastas, rice, canned soups, all types of beans, etc) every time we go to Costco, to add to the freezer. If we see a good deal on meat or fish at Costco, we get it and put it in the freezer. We added a lovely pantry to our house and it is FILLED with food…just by adding little by little every time we go to the store. It adds up quickly and you’ll be amazed at all the food you have in storage. And like someone else said… spend a day doing nothing but cooking meals. You can put them in the big freezer for a “rainy day”. And when Violet is big enough to eat “big people” food, buy a smasher or mixer,( we have a Bullet) and just blend up the food that you are eating. My parents did that with all their kids. We got all the nutrients that my parents were getting and my mom saved on the food bill.
As for diapers, we get ours at Costco. The boxes are huge and they quality is pretty good. I haven’t had any problem with them at all.
Budgeting is hard. And sometimes it sucks… But it teaches you to live within your means. And if you get used to it, it just becomes a way of life. Even when extra money is easier to come by. Sometimes we just have to sacrifice. It won’t always be this way for those of us who have to watch our pennies. Things will get better and easier. I try to keep that in mind when I get frustrated. I think you’ve gotten a lot of good advice from your friends.Sorry for writing so much.
Wow great advice everyone! We have looked into Terry Carpooling but the problem is the time of day he leaves is random. It's not a set time every day. I would teach piano the problem is in the area I live everyone teaches piano! I'm sure if I didn't live in Utah I could teach piano. : )
We haven't really had to buy any baby clothes yet either but 12 months is pretty much where the hand me downs run out so that's why I was wondering what everyone else does. You guys have given me lot's of ideas for that. I'm not sure how well the garden thing would work until/if we got into a house. The apartment we live in has small (and I mean very small) plots we could rent for 20 bucks but for how much we could grow in that much dirt I doubt would off-set the price of renting it. But I do like gardening, and I do hope someday to have my own.
I do want to learn to can, that sounds fun. My mom and dad used to can a lot. I'll have to see if there are any of those orchards you speak of that let you pick your own fruit. I think canning would be a good way to add to our food storage.
We may someday get a Costco membership (is it any cheaper than Sam's?) but right now we just use Terry's parents' Sam's Club membership every other month to buy some bulk stuff.
Tato is starting to eat some table foods so I think we're on our way to feeding her what we're having. I'll have to find a good mixer (do you like the Bullet Deb?).
Anyways, seriously great tips guys. I know we can do it, and I can improve at this home-making and budgeting thing.
On a side note: Jill do you know how to can? I think you are the only one in the area that can teach me. : ) Also I want to learn to make homemade bread. I don't even like store bought bread so if anyone has an amazing recipe they want to share for that, it would be appreciated. (again Jill, if you want to teach me some of these things, I can trade for babysitting or something : )
Okay,Alice, it is my turn. I really like all of the comments. So good to hear from people your own age learning to budget. We used to gleen potato fields in Idaho and that would get us through the winter and part of the summer. I never could afford all of the ingredients in most recipes but I did the basic recipe and good spices and that worked out fine. My way of planning menus was to have past one night, potatoes another night, rice another night and just add a vegie and meat if I had it. That made menu planning easy. It is a good idea to have bulk rice and pasta around.
Bread recipe: Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup hot water (not super hot)5 cups hot water,add 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons honey or molasses, 2 tablespoons oil or shortning, 12-14 cups of flour. It tastes better if you use part 1/2 and 1/2 ww wheat and white flour. Add first 5 cups of flour and the yeast mixture and stir well. Then keep adding 5 to 6more cups of flour until the dough is stiff but still a little gooey. Knead the dough on a floured surface working in the last two cups of flour for about 15 minutes. Put this back in the bowl and cover the bowl with a towel until double in size about an hour. Cut the dough into 4 equal portions and punch down a little. Roll by hand to fit into greased bread pans. Cover pans with a cloth and let raise 1/2 hour. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Brush tops with butter. YUM! This recipe makes 4 loaves that freeze well but you can cut it in half.
5 cups scriptures, 10 cups prayers, a full teaspoon of church attendance, infinite amounts of modesty/humility (good luck finding those ingredients they are rare), 6 tablefulls of rice, small tradeable shells, pelts, rare sausages, full vial of believers serum and 10 more cups of I don't care what the world thinks I'm just going to follow Jesus brew.
solves problems.... oh yeah, take these portions daily.
I wish I had something new to contribute! I have to agree though... allrecipes.com is wonderful, so is weelicious.com if you are in to healthy cooking. I sometimes adapt her recipes a little bit to fit our own tastes/ingredients but it is great. Canning food is wonderful, I just wish I had someone up here to teach me. I guess I better crawl out of my shell and start asking around at church for someone to teach me. A food processor for baby food works wonders. I got the okay from the pediatrician to start Trinli on some baby food, so I plan to do that after the camping trip I think. I started using a crockpot because I had leftover produce at the end of the month... I would just cut it all up, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, whatever and put it in some broth (or water with the little cubes) and let it sit all day. No waste and yummy soup. Definitely plan out your meals, it saves a ton if you'll just stick to it. I have a friend who goes crazy with coupons and she gets a ton of stuff for free or dang near close. I just don't have the patience to constantly be checking websites and circulars and clipping coupons... but it does help a lot. Treg and I have our own business that helps us out a bit. We've decided it's time to start really working it because it is looking like I may have to go back to work, too. We could tell you about what we do.
I have a bread recipe too, if you want it. It's pretty easy. I used to bake bricks, but this recipe was super easy and it's good too. Just email me if you want it. lisawilder39@hotmail.com
Sorry, I haven't been back here for awhile... but yes... I love our bullet :) It works for so many things. I don't know if Sams is the same ($) as Costco. But that's great if you can borrow someone's card... that helps :)
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