1)  Cut back on the grocery bill.  This is one of the easiest ways that I have cut back on our spending.  I began with my normal tactics of stocking up on great sales and buy 1 get 1 free offers.  Then, I began using The Grocery Game and this has really paid off.

2)  Shop for clearance items.  I know all of the hot spots in Target for clearance items.  You may think I’m a bit nuts, but I have a route of the store that I follow so that I can walk beside all of those clearance sections.

3)  Purchase used clothing.  I check out consignment stores for gently used clothing.  I really like it when the consignment stores have end of the season sales.  Last year, my local consignment store was having 75% off their winter clothing.  I got 2 huge bags of clothes for around $50.  It’s nice to see my daughter wearing the coat that I paid $2 for. 

4)  Limit errands and driving.  When I was working, it was convenient to stop here and there on my way home.  Now that I’m at home, I try to limit my errands to one or two days a week. Errands eat up time and gas.

5)  Stay out of stores.  If I go into a store “just to look around” then it is very tempting to make impulse purchases.  When making my list of errands, I include all those stores that I need to go to for that day.  This limited amount of time also cuts back on the amount of time I can spend in the stores.

6)  Graciously accept used clothing from friends.  A large portion of my daughter’s clothing has been passed down to me from my best friend.  Her daughter is 9 months older than mine and her daughter’s clothes have been such a blessing to us.

7)  Avoid catalogs.  When I was teaching, I would receive catalogs from Current, Christian Book Distributors, ABC Distributing, Oriental Trading . . . I could go on and on.  I would pass the catalogs around my work and we would all place orders together to save on shipping.  Saving on shipping sounds good, right?  Well, actually all those catalogs caused me to buy things I didn’t really need.

8)  Avoid going out to eat.  When you’re working out of the house, there is less time to plan and prepare meals, and less energy to follow through.  Since I became a work-from-home-mom, I have made a bigger effort to avoid restaurants.  Now when I do the checkbook each month, I see where we have gone out to eat 3-4 times.  When I was working, it was more like 6-9 times a month.

9) Quit buying things just because they are on clearance.  This is a weak spot that I used to have.  I would get stuff for 75-90% off and put it away for this and that, thinking that I would use the stuff.  I was left with a lot of clutter.  Thankfully, I got the stuff so cheap that I was able to put it in my yard sale and get my money back. 

10)  Haggle whenever possible.  Negotiate on credit card interest rates, cell phone plans, cable television packages, and more.  You can save your family a pretty good amount of money if you’re willing to get on the phone and start talking.

These are the best ways that I have found to save money.  Do you have any other ways to add?  We can all learn from one another.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

So, I am reading blogs listed on 5 Minutes for Mom and really enjoying what I’m finding . . . and then I’m wondering where the time went and wondering why I’m not in bed yet!!  Does that sound familiar to you?  I think I need to take Robyn’s name Sleepy Blogger and make it my own!

Anyway, I came across another blog that I thought you thrifty mommies might enjoy.  Diary of a SAHM is, well, the diary of a stay at home mom.  Go figure!  LOL  Sandra blogs about kids, the weather, recipes, television shows, being cranky, and anything else that goes on in a mommy’s life. 

Sandra had a recipe on her site that looked pretty yummy.  On Thursdays, she posts crock pot recipes.  This week’s recipe is Chicken and Mushroom Stew. 

I was just saying how much time I spend in front of the computer without even realizing it.  You should read Simple Balance Technology & Resource II, found at Holly’s Corner.  She reminds us that in the midst of all the technology around us, it is still important to prioritize our lives, prepare by getting our work done, and live life.  The chores can wait, but your kids will always be there.  It was a great reminder for me.

Be sure to visit Holly’s Corner.  She and her husband also have a site called Hope to Adopt.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Crown financial ministries has a great calculator that will let you answer that exact question.  The calculator is called “how much does Mommy really make” and it will help you find out how much it would cost you to keep working.  This was eye opening for my husband and me as I thought I would actually have to replace my entire income.  Turns out, I spent half my income on gas, food, and work clothes.  When we took these expenses out of the equation, I only had to replace part of my salary.  It made us feel much better about dropping my days and it gave us a goal to work towards for me to stay at home full time.  Check it out and tell me how you do.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Let me jsut say this to you.  You are doing exactly what you should for your kids.  So many people feel that SAHM’s are better parents.  That is just not true.  You love your kids just as much as we do and they love you too. So just hug them when you can and know that you are just as important and loved by your kids as I am to my kid.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy