What has saved you the most money over time?

deemom · **What has saved you the most money over time?**

What tip have you used or what place have you used that has saved you the most money over time?

Have you saved lots of money by making your own cleaning supplies? Has Angel Food Ministries saved you lots of money?

For me I would have to say the library. We are huge readers and love movies so the library has saved us tons of money. Plus all the free crafts and educational programs they put on throughout the year. And then there are the coupons and prizes they get through the summer reading program.

cassbaz · 04-09-2008, 11:03 AM

If I had to pick one, I would probably say buying the family's clothes and other items at garage sales/thrift stores. I get the nicest stuff that way. I also never turn down any hand-me-downs for the kids. I also have to agree that the library has saved us a ton too. I get all of our movies that way and books for the kids.
Another thing that has really been helpful lately is planning out our menu for dinners for the week. If we have it planned and everything bought, it makes it really easy to stick to it and know exactly what to make that night for dinner.

daymom03 · 04-09-2008, 11:06 AM

Mine is simply not going to the stores anymore, especially the mall, unless I need something very specific. I've been so much better about not buying anything until there is a need for it, such as new shoes because the old ones are too small.

3boys · 04-09-2008, 11:18 AM

Does my cleaning lady count? It's the best $60/week I spend. She comes for about 6 hours once a week (Wednesdays - she's here right now). And I love not to have to worry about cleaning the bathrooms, the bedrooms, dusting, windows, changing the sheets, she evens washs the sheets in all the rooms weekly, and if I were to do that, that would just wipe my whole weekend away.

brensmom · 04-09-2008, 11:29 AM

i would have to say that not working we used to spend so much money on my work clothes gas lunches out and dinners out if i was running late that in the end we are better off financially then we were it forced us to take a real hard look at our spending habits.

cathleeninnh · 04-09-2008, 12:15 PM

I agree that my quitting work was the best move financially for us. We then went to one car and I had no wardrobe to keep up. And I could enjoy cooking and had the time to focus on making the best choices. Too many rash moves when you are tired all the time.

Cathleen

queenboxtop · 04-09-2008, 01:17 PM

If I had to only choose one it would be Making a list and sticking to it. I have now incorporated this in every aspect of my life and it is really working.

mbell0817 · 04-09-2008, 01:25 PM

It's hard for me to pick one thing b/c it was really a lifestyle change. I'd say a written budget was the best thing for us. Seeing where each dollar goes.

Not buying my son new clothes is another huge one. And never going shopping for myself (clothes, shoes, etc.) unless I absolutely have to. Being a SAHM helps with this.

Shopping the loss leaders at grocery stores is another biggie.

See? I could go on and on...

lip_service · 04-09-2008, 01:27 PM

I've saved the most money by simply not buying so much junk food and eating in at home instead of out so much. I tend to be lazy so I don't want to cook, but getting off my butt and making real food for the family instead of going to McDonalds or something has saved a LOT of money.

Keep Smiling · 04-09-2008, 01:43 PM

I created an Excel spreadsheet for our weekly spending. Anything we pay w/our credit cards goes on it. I allot us a set amount that includes groceries, gas, entertainment, clothes, gifts, etc. Each night that we use our credit cards I plug in our expenses and inform my husband of our status. It helps keep us focused on "needs" vs. "wants". It also prevents our credit card bills from becoming such a shock!

I also received used clothing from my sons from two to three friends. It's pretty funny to say "used" because some of the clothing is practically brand new and some still has tags on it! My advice is not to spend a lot of $$ on children's clothing for two reasons 1) They can ruin a piece of clothing in the blink of an eye 2) They grow so fast.