with the higher prices of gas, heating oil, and food?

Are you menu planning more? Eating out less? Planning trips to the store more rather than running out to grab one thing...

We live in a small rural town so if I need something that I can't get here it has to wait until I have a list of items and make the trip to a larger city. I mean...it's silly to spend $12 or $13 in gas to run and buy something that is $4...

I have also been having DH stop more on his way home from work. Last week he picked up a bunch of chicken at Harris Teeter that was on sale. It wouldn't have been a good deal if I had to drive to get it myself.

Are you thinking along similar lines or am I crazy?

My DH and I moved into a trailer when we found out we were pregnant (May 06) from a crappy apartment that was VERY old and drafty. We got a full tank of heating oil when we bought it new and bought oil for the second time TODAY (last time was Feb 07) and we weren't empty! We figure we use about 250 gallons a year! Go cozy homes!

I also don't go out to eat at work anymore and stop on my way home from work to pick up groceries (that we can't buy too much in advance - milk, fresh veges).

And my favorite is buying from second hand stores!

WE definitely plan more for meals and are more aware of our budget!

__________________


www.myspace.com/lilmagil

It's funny you mentioned this, I just got our coupon book for our house payment yesterday and it went up $24.00 a month. Now $24.00 isn't much but when you consider our gas bill has gone up, our electrict bill has gone up, and our grocery bill as well it all starts adding up.

Our response is we're not going as much. We're rural and we're not traveling out of town near as often. We're making one big trip instead of 20 little trips. We also are not eating out as much either. It's a bit of a bummer because I do like going and I do like eating out but we have to cut something out and those are the only things that don't seem to get bill collectors calling!

We have been doing the same things. We are eating out alot less and I have been sticking to a once a week shopping day. I plan all of the errands so I am not back tracking and they get done faster. My DH and I are brown bagging it at work too. Planning menus is still boring to me. I don't know why I like a schedule and I have a day planner that I keep with me just to tell me what is going on but I really hate having menus planned????? I am going to have to work on that.

__________________
Want to save some green? Join a coupon train.

Mmmm..this has been huge for us. We're paying just about $300 a month on our budget plan for oil and CT has the highest electrical rates in the continental US. Plus, our gas is about $3.25 a gallon right now. We've stopped eating out as much. We're trying to go to one dinner every other week, and a cheap one at that. I've been buying some processed stuff (frozen pizza, fish sticks, french fries) so that we can eat cheaply at home but I don't have to cook all the time. We're also paring down the kids' wardrobes so they have x number of items only each season. I have needed a new pair of jeans forever and I just ordered a pair this weekend. Good thing they got here, because I found a large hole in one of my two pairs of jeans this morning . We're not really doing anything for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day or our b-days. We're also simplifying the baby's upcoming first birthday party, both in terms of number of attendees and menu.

We only get $23 a month to eat out. We usually are happy with going out just once if it is to our favorite pizza buffet.

We plan grocery trips to make sure that we are not wasting gas.

We started eating more leftovers (even if we don't like that certain thing left over).

I started buying the cheap wipes (parents choice) when I can't get my favorite ones (pampers swipers) for cheaper.

I use luvs during the day and pampers at night unless I can get the pampers for cheaper.

I started to wean my just turned one year old off formula and on to milk ( I have to mix part milk and part formula because she won't drink straight milk yet... but hey, it still saves us money)

I am clipping coupons and watching the sales like a hawk. Before I just used the coupon and knew it was better than full price.

We stopped buying pop. My hubby is probably thinking that he can't take it for much longer.

and other stuff that I can't think of right now.

We have been staying home a lot more and getting movies and books from the library, I am able to request them online and have it timed pretty good to where I get new releases almost as soon as they are released on DVD. It costs $4 to RENT one at the local video store~so we really save by using the libaray.
I also do the cheaper diapers during the day and use a better diaper at night,
We always use coupons and try to have a small stockpile of toothpaste, shampoo, soap, things that I can usually get near free with coupons/sales.
My hubby always brings a packed lunch to work.
Sometimes we eat breakfast for dinner~pancakes & sausage, or french toast are always cheap.
I always shop at garage sales and thrift stores for the kids clothes. We never buy anything new that we don't have to. We get the nicest things so cheap that way~~most stuff is almost new!!
These are just a few things that we do~~I love reading everyone's responses!!!!

__________________
SAHM TO 2 GIRLS
6 years and 19 months

we live in a rural area so its 25 min to the nearest large city so dh has been going to the grocery store on the way home(they are all right by his work) so i have been able to cut my trips down to once every two weeks. we are basically planning out every purchase.

My husband and I just bought a new house last November. The house is huge and we were so excited. Our son will have plenty of room to run and play and now there would be room for another child, one day! I'm going to be 30 minutes closer to work so less gas! YEA!
And then we got the utility bill - OUCH! It's twice as much as the old place! - So now we've had to come up with creative ways to save energy. We've switched all the light bulbs to the energy saver and hung heavy curtains and blinds to help keep the house warm. I keep the heat on 68 degrees and we unplug everything that is not being used. The house is insulated well already so we don't have to worry about that but I hoping that the little things that we've done will help.
I've always used coupons and only go when they are having a good sale. I LOVE going to thrift stores and yard sales and if I do buy something new it's only if it's on sale or clearance - Never pay full price for something!
I also always pack my lunch for work as well as a snack for the in-between times.
I love going to WalMart.com or the local news station website to look for freebies. - I almost never have to buy toothpaste, floss or shampoo because there are so many freebies out there. It's great to be able to try out new products as well.

I guess I am also trying to figure out how to increase our ingoing $$$. Like trying to plan well for the neighborhood garage sale, putting things on Craigslist and seeing if there are more classes I can teach. I am also trying to downsize my Mary Kay inventory.