How Are You Cutting Down on Spending? - Event Date: October 31 2008 - November 05 2008

 

1. cut coupons, we have a grocery store that doubles $1.00 coupons, I spend about  $100 a month on groceries for 3 people.

 

2. no car payments- we have 3 older vehicles 1996 van, 1999 Malibu, 2001 Cavalier so we don't have any car payments

 

3. shop at yard sales and thrift stores

 

4. sell on Ebay & Craigslist the things I find at yard sales and thrift stores to make extra money because I only work part time, so I am home alot

 

NEW THINGS we have been doing since prices started getting higher:

 

1. hanging laundry on the line sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes)

 

2. not making any extra driving trips, all errands and grocery trips are done to and from work to save on gas.

 

3. I have not turned the heat  on in the house yet even though it has gotten to 30 outside, we have just put on a sweatshirt indoors and it is not too bad, but yesterday it was back up in the 80's so it's hot out again, we haven't had any AC or heat on in about 2 months yay!.

 

4. cancelled our home delivered newspaper (yesterday was the last day, we shall see how that goes)

 

5. broke down and bought a solar blanket for the pool ($121) the initial outlay was alot but in the longrun it will save money because the pool heater won't have to work as hard when we do decide to use it. BUT that will be cut back ALOT, we used to heat it every weekend, wo far we have only heat it once, and probably will only heat it once a month. Plus the solar blanket will extend the swimming season by 2-3 month without using the heater at all, so in the longrun it will save money. However if we just don't use the heater it will save even more money, LOL.

 

6. Didn't run out and buy a new oven, our oven broke about 4 months ago, the stove part works fine, we have a toaster oven and a microwave and I figured ok the hot months it's not so bad not heating up the house, but now I think I'm going to have to break down and actually BUY one. I have looking in the paper and on Craigslist thinking maybe I could get a used one cheaper, but I have been looking for over a month now and nothing.

 

7. We have been eating two meatless dinners a week (for my husband that is a big deal, but he seems to have adjusted when I remind him of the economy, LOL) and we have changed our eating habits, we used to eat steak once a week, we don't anymore. We are eating alot of ground turkey because I can get that on sale for $1 a pound, so alot of meals with ground turkey where I normally might have used ground beef such as spaghetti, lasagna, chili, Manwich sandwhich, tacos.

 

Ways we could do better, but choose not to at the moment. I guess there are ways we could all cut back on more, we could cut back on more but choose not to. We could cut back on my daughters sports activities, but we choose not to, she's 12, plays softball (has played for 7 years) and basketball (has played for 3 years). She pitches for softball (4 years now) and goes to a pitching coach at $25 an hour, there isn't any cost for school practices, but there is cost for cleats, gloves, batting gloves, sliders, sliding shorts, socks, bats, helmets, (uniforms are paid for by the school). For the independent softball team she will play on in the spring we will have to pay for a uniform and the practices are 30 minutes away 2X a week and a game a week, and the school games are sometimes 1-1/2 hours away, so LOTS of gas. Basketball is the same, no uniform costs, but knee pads, baksetball shoes, socks, ball to practice at home with. We are lucky we live 2 blocks from the school/the basketball court and the softball field.  There is alot of money tied up in her sports activites, then it costs $3 a person to go to the games, there is 2 of us and the games are twice a week, it all adds up. Plus we also like to attend CBA Cavalry basketball games. So here is where we could cut back if we had to.

 

 

 

 

That is a great price! Too bad I need a freestanding stove/oven.

 

You are so right! I try not to go to the store until I absolutely have to. It helps avoid any impulse buys.

Melody

Melody