cost savings tips !

[Marilyn]

1. Use flourescent light bulbs for your most used light fixtures. The ones you seldom use, don't matter.
2. Turn off the computers, TV's, and other electrical devices when not in use. TV's and other items actually consume some electricity when not in use. Using a power strip with an on/off switch will allow you to shut these devices off completely.
3. Drive the speed limit, and reduce braking when stopping by slowing down earlier at intersections.
4. Buy a good quality water filter for your kitchen sink cold water and stop buying bottled water. Much of our bottled water is filtered municipal water anyway. Filter yourself and save money.
5. Buy a box of white lint free rags from the paint store and use these for cleaning instead of paper towels. Wash with your whites and reuse.

This is a start. Will try to come up with more.

[HALEY]

Thanks Marilyn, those were good ones, i'm always buying paper towels, have to get some rags.. and i just got a water filter a couple months ago
thanks for the tips.

[judy]

I've spent so much money the past few days!

But, what I have been doing is that I just stopped all of the impulse spending and I haven't bought any clothes for a while. In other words, nothing unnecessary.
That works for me.

I also have been buying fresh veggies and steaming them. They're delicious and much cheaper than the frozen. Food is just so expensive lately. I only buy what I really need for my WW diet.

[Janet]

Those were all great ideas. I don't spend much anyway. Gotta have it to spend it...LOL. Our Farmers Market started up last weekend and the fresh fruits and veggies are cheaper there than in the stores. Although I love the frozen steam packages of veggies...it's time I stop and steam my own fresh ones too.

I've already tried saving in other ways a long time ago, but really not noticing a whole lot of savings.

[HALEY]

Mike also put one new storm door up, hopefully if its not raining this weekend he'll get the other one up, i'm going to see if it makes a difference on my a/c and gas bill.
Last year we also put up all energy light bulbs, i didn't see to much of a difference in my electric. But cutting down on washing clothes, im going to check it next month.
I couldn't believe prices of groceries, when i went yesterday, i shop wal mart for all my baby stuff and then i go to giant eagle for my meats, wal mart meat is just terrible, i got the pop special that giant eagle was advertising for our lunches, i started packing a lunch again for work, sometimes i eat lunch sometimes i don't..
so i'll save some money there too..
i got Micah off of all baby food, so i'm saving tons of money there, next step is to start the potty training.. oh boy !!!!

[Chandra Amaya]

my biggest tip is ...when you go shopping, be it for cleaning supplies and household goods, groceries, stuff for kids, clothes...whatever. Leave the debit, credit cards and checkbook at home! Take out your spending limit at the ATM or just save it out of your check and only take that with you. That way you CANNOT go over your budget because you can't pay for it.
Our biggest cost is gas... we have to drive to a different city and back sevral times a day. I take my son to school (same city), come home... wake up my hubby and the baby they drop me off and come home (a city away) they drive home. He picks my son up from school, comes home, picks me up as he goes in (we work in the same place but opposite shifts.). I drive home. I have to get all the kids up and go pick him up then drive back home. This is a normal day without any trips to stores, any bills or errands to run... We spend wayyy too much on gas. We need a second car but that is not in our budget for some time. We have no one to share rides with. I hope gas stops going up soon, but i have heard it will be $5 a gallon by summer. It already takes about $82 to fill up.

[judy]

I feel for you Traci! But, it does sound like you and hubby are good to each other.