Warning, this is a bit of a thinking out loud, well on keyboard post. Our life is doing a bit of changing at the moment, and I am trying to catch on and keep up..........
Terry took a second shift job. A "real" job from a company doing something he knows how to do. Not real sure what he does, but it's dirty machine mechanic stuff.
The blessings here are evident.
We have fallen behind on some bills. I told him in a fit of being scared that day, that he had to get a second job or I had to immediately. Our business is doing great, but the cost of having your own business is killing us and for some reason we have been knocked down with soooooo many unexpected expenses lately that for him, one man, to work 140 hours a week, it just isn't enough!! We don't have employees, so one man can only do so much!! Then so much of what he earns has to go back into the business and well, after one year of being self employed my sweet husband had to swallow his pride. He now works his business from 9ish am to 4ish pm and then his second shift job from 43opm till sometime in the night. The shift ends at 1230am but there is lots of overtime right now and this being his second week, he hasn't been home before 3am yet, normally he gets of at 330 and gets here at 4am, then I have to wake him at 830am to go back out................and being this has only been 2 weeks, I still haven't been able to get the money to catch up yet. That part is frustrating because I see him dragging and busting his rearend and we are behind still for the moment!!
My new mission in life is to make every dollar go as far as I can!! If I am going to be home with our children, then I should make it my job to stretch those pennies!! Something I was never taught to do, never had to do, never thought much about......it was a non issue and I understand that sounds stupid because even people with money coming out of their ears should be good stewards, but it just wasn't what I was taught. I grew up thinking money was endless and things didn't have monetary value. how horrible...........I pray I can totally change that for my kids.
So, will you help me? I am humbled here...I need to learn things that most children grow up learning!! We never shut the lights off when we left a room even! I never heard my mom say any of those things to me. I have been asking friends, and have been getting some great advice!! Things I would NEVER think to do, I have tried and it is actually become a......a what? What is the word?? Not hobby per say, but a misson!! And it's sort of fun to see what I can get away with!! For instance, I made Terry tuna salad for lunch. I have never made his lunches, he always ate out, but I have made his lunch every night for his new job. Of couse his lunch is at 8pm, but anyway..
I made the tuna the way I always do. Hellmans mayo, celery, salt and pepper etc, then from the advice of a friend, I took a 50 cent can of white beans and drained and rinsed them. Smashed them and mixed them in the tuna. Got a ton more salad that way, you couldn't see the beans, it added protein and something to stick to the ribs, way cheaper than that much tuna would be and would you believe he didn't have a clue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he even complemented me on the tuna!!!!!
Never in a million years would I have thought to do that...........and now i will do it every time!!
We also changed all the bulbs to floresent in the house, try to unplug things we aren't using like the coffee maker or chargers for cell phones etc. turn the heat down and put on more clothes.......
But food is the big thing here....
If you have just one or even 10 things, hints, ideas, that would help me learn to be more thrifty with a large family, would you take a minute and comment?? I would love to hear them!!!! Then maybe others who read can get ideas that will help them out also!!
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10 comments:
Sorry-no hints. But you sound like me! Money was never an issue-mainly cos my mom lived on credit...It's really tough, especially when you're already living 'without' so to speak. Every month I feel so bad cos I should be able to make it all work out..Hm..what's a girl to do? I already make all our food,hadnwash our laundry etc, so..? I'll look forward to seeing what others will say.
This recession is kicking the butts of pretty much everyone I know. I would recommend combing through websites like shoppingthrifty.com, frugal-living-tips.com, thriftyfun.com and many more of the like that can be found on the web. Lots of good tips await you.
One thing I've always done when grocery shopping is buy the store brand unless my favorite is on sales for less. Use the lower priced cuts of meat. I've also found shopping at stores like Save-a-Lot or Aldi's to be helpful for buying many things. I tend not to buy meats there. Do some comparison shopping as you are trying to trim your budget. Look through the sale circulars that stores send out before going to the store. Use coupons as much as possible but only if it represents a true savings over the store brand. I wish you all the best.
1. Make a list of weekly menus. Make a shopping list from those menus. Don't deviate from that shopping list (unless there's a really good sale on something that you will definitely use!).
2. Make stir-fries. Rice is cheap and meat goes a lot longer in a stir-fry than it does served alone.
3. Do not buy junk food/snack food.
4. Do not buy convenience foods; make everything from scratch.
5. When you cook something, make double and freeze the second batch, either for another meal, or in individual portions for lunches.
6. If you have a Produce Junction or other produce store near you, buy your produce there. It's usually MUCH less expensive than in the stores.
7. We buy our meat from a meat store and it's much less than in the grocery store. If there's a sale, we stock up and freeze.
8. Do not buy soda or juice. Water is much healthier (if you have a water filter system) and it's free!
9. Look at unit costs while shopping; large containers are not always less expensive than smaller ones.
10. Don't eat out!
11. Keep an inventory of what's in your pantry. That way, you know what you have and avoid having to run out to pick something up...which usually leads to more food ending up in your cart!
12. Plant a garden. Even if you only plant a few things (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, etc.), you can save a lot of money.
13. Shop in ethnic stores. Produce and rice are usually very inexpensive in Asian or Indian grocery stores.
14. Find out when your grocery store marks down meat, and shop then.
15. Compare prices on different forms of foods. For instance, grated cheese is much more expensive than buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself.
16. Ask around and see if there's a buying club or co-op near you, where you can go in with other families and buy things in bulk.
17. Buy from local farms or at Farmers' Markets.
18. Check out some blogs:
The Hillbilly Housewife: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm
Frugal Granola: http://frugalgranola.blogspot.com/
A Year of Crockpotting: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
The Frugal Blog Network: http://frugalblognetwork.com/about/
19. Get copies (used, of course, at Amazon or half.com) of The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn and Dining on a Dime Cook Book: 1000 Money Saving Recipes and Tips by Tawra Jean Kellam and Jill Cooper.
20. Check out Angel Food Ministries: http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
I don't have a family, but I'm kind of frugal (My Mom calls me cheap. LOL!). Here are my suggestions, and forgive me if they seem like no-brainers:
-Eat before you go grocery shopping. I carry a small nutrition bar on me so that I won't be tempted to fill my cart with crap.
-Quietspirit is right. Look through the circulars and compare. I use a site that lets me do all of this online before I leave the house (http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=site.dspHome). Compare prices, make a list, and try to stick to it.
-If you bring your children with you, give them each an item or two. Make it a scavenger hunt, I Spy, or other type of game and they won't be grabbing for the candy or other expensive things geared towards kids.
-When grocery shopping, shop the perimeter of the store first. This is where you'll find your fruits, veggies, milk, meat, etc.
-I rarely buy name brand anything unless it's cheaper than the generic or the generic versions don't taste the same.
-The most expensive items on the shelf are usually placed at eye level. Look below that and you'll see the deals.
-I use bagged spinach to make green smoothies. It was on sale a few weeks ago for $1 a bag (normally $3/bag), I purchased 4 bags and put the extras in the freezer. Milk, bread, and cheese may all be frozen and used after thawing.
-Learn how to make 2 or more different meals from one main ingredient. I buy a package of ground turkey and make spaghetti and burritos out of it. It gives me the illusion of having variety in my life. LOL!
-When buying meat, I also look out for the "Manager's Special". These are items that are approaching their use or FREEZE by date. Inspect the meat, and if it looks OK then pop it in the freezer until you're ready to use it.
Sorry for the mini blog. This has inspired me to do a thrifty post. Good luck!
Do you have a BJ's nearby?
Do you have an extra freezer for when meat or chicken is on special?
BJ's accepts manufacturer's coupons and sends out their own coupons as well. They will also accept multiple coupons on one item (example: I buy a bottle of Tide HE, original price $17. With 3-4 coupons, the price is now $13).
Our BJ's also accepts printed coupons. So, I check websites for items to see if they have coupons. Like the Pillsbury website always has coupons every month and you can usually print each coupon you need 2-3 times.
And, we pay for the Sunday paper, mainly for the coupons.
I only buy items like toilet paper, paper towels, pull-ups when I have 3-4 coupons to use at BJ's.
My average coupon savings is $20-30 dollars on each trip. I make list according to what we need and what coupons I have.
Find Farmer's Markets in the spring and summer for savings on produce.
Turn off lights and turn down your thermostat. We keep ours at 59-60 at night and between 65 and 68 during the day.
If you shop online, do a google search for promo codes before buying anything.
Some restaurants will also send out birthday coupons if you sign up at their websites. The Children's Place clothing store and Toys R Us also does this.
I add water to juice for the kids. It reduces the sugar and makes the juice last longer.
My oldest takes her lunch to school. I bought her a wide mouthed thermos (like this: http://www.amazon.com/Foogo-Thermos-Leak-Proof-Food-Blue/dp/B000O3LFRK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1237828707&sr=8-9) to put warm left overs in. She loves taking soup or mac n cheese to school.
She also uses a re-useable plastic juice box container for milk or juice instead of a regular juice box that costs more.
A few more things,
If you are going to (or have been making lunches), don't buy individual bags of chips or servings of fruit. It is cheaper to buy a large bag and use a container or a ziplock bag for individual portions.
Use a website like gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas in your area. Here, BJ's is usually the cheapest.
If you are going to eat out, use a coupon or find the restaurants that have kids eat free days. Like IHOP is kids eat free every Friday.
You got some good advice. Food is pricey here(UK). I tend to cook everything from scratch, mostly rice dishes, and yes stir fry is great. The fav is 'jollof rice' where you throw in everything -meat, onions tomatoes veg rice...chillies are good cos you can add loads of beans. I started baking our bread and saved a significant amount of money. To give myself a break, friday is 'no cook' day so I get KFC with chips from the chip shop. Unhealthy, I know, but a girls gotta have a break.
Farmers markets are great. Since you have a large family, buying in bulk can sometimes get you a deal as well. I try to go about 45 min before closing as the vendors dont want to cart home what they bought so they offer better deals to get rid of things. Also a great place to pick up eggs..
I recently started my own garden as well since the price of produce is insane now. Its a great project for your kids as well. Another thing i do to spread my tuna is to mix it with half plain fat free yogurt and half mayo.
Beans are a great staple as well. I make a crock pot full and make chili, white bean soup, etc from the left over chicken. And for the days you dont feel like cooking, the supermarkets and super wal marts will sell their rotisserie chickens for sometimes $2 or $3 about 30 min before closing. I will sometimes buy 3 or 4 and use one for soup, one for chicken salad and part and freeze the other.
Another bank account drainer can be personal hygiene products. Since I have discovered the miracle of Dr. Bonners soap, my bill has cut down tremendously. I was able to get a few gallons of dif scents. It is concentrate so a jug should last a good while.
I use it for cleaning from head to toe in dif dilutions.
I must say that I do quite a bit of shopping at costco..Their kirklands brand products are made by the same manufactures of name brand products most of the time (tide, charmin,etc.) they just purchase the product in bulk and repackage it. They also send monthly coupons for some staple products.
Good luck with your quest for saving. I hope u all get back on your feet soon.
I've found that using Dr. Bronner's Castile soap (although initially expensive) has saved me money. I use it as a shampoo, body wash, to clean my bathrooms, wash dishes, clothes, and numerous other things. Its vegetable/castile based and vegan, so its not harsh like chemicals. You can find it at most health food stores. Dilute it, and it lasts forever, and it can be used for many things.
I'm not sure if you have cable and high speed internet, but using the basic package without upgrades can save much money over time.
Shop around for cheaper car and homeowners insurance.
Good luck on your quest to save money! I think this is a quest many of us are on.
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