1)  Audit your spending.  See if there is anything that you’re willing to cut out.  I’m thinking things like lunch out with coworkers, movie rentals, coffee stops, etc.  Or you could find ways to save on everyday purchases such as groceries.  Decide on how much spending you can eliminate.  Put that money aside into a savings account.

2)  Set a budget and stick to it.  Make a list of everyone you would like to shop for and decide on a dollar amount for gifts.  If necessary, you might have to eliminate a few relatives and friends that you don’t talk to much.  Due to the current economy, I think people are going to be more understanding this year.  That’s just my thought.

3)  Shop smart.  Look for clearance sales, coupon codes, and other ways to spend less.  Consider making homemade gifts.  Shop at discounted stores such as Marshalls, Ross, and T-Maxx.  There are many ways to save.

Other helpful tips:

• How to Cut Down Your Christmas Gift List
• Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses
• Plan for Your Holiday Budget Now!

Have you planned for Christmas?

image on file

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Penny Saving Household Helper: Five Hundred Little Ways to Save Big is just a tiny little hardcover book;  4-1/2 x 6 in (it’ll fit right in a stocking!) but is packed full with over 500 tips for saving money throughout the home and garden all year long. There are many nice tips for saving money when cooking, stocking the pantry, cleaning, energy use, beauty, and fashion, entertainment, the holidays, and more.

I like that this book had a fairly eco-friendly flavor to it as well with tips on natural and inexpensive cleaners and using rags instead of paper towels. Plus there were plenty of other green-minded reuse tips throughout.

The book doesn’t even need wrapping because it’s pretty cute as is. The cover is a minty green with copper colored foil-stamp-like label. The inside is pretty too with dark chocolate font instead of black – a nice switch and cool vintage style line drawings. The Chronicle Books website says that the book has a cloth cover which may be a misprint because the one I got does not, but the inside tips is what you’re after anyhow.

SAMPLE TIPS:

• Make rice pudding with leftover rice by adding butter, cinnamon, sugar, and milk.
• Don’t separate your bananas from one another until you plan to eat them – they last longer in a bunch.
• Treating the feet of your furniture with furniture wax will protect wood floors from scratches.
• Your baseball glove will stay free of cracks and keep its shape when stored with a ball in its palm.

The only downside is that a super saver won’t find as many new tips as a newbie. There was some new info to me, but I had seen many of these tips before. That’s not a huge deal though. I still learned some new tricks and these tips would be perfect for a new college graduate or newlyweds or someone who needs big time help learning to save money.

Learn more: Penny Saving Household Helper: Five Hundred Little Ways to Save Big.

[image via Chronicle Books]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Not revisiting plans you sign up for: Example – I don’t send that many text messages on my phone. I’m just not a big text person. However, for a while, before I complained, my friends were sending me LOTS of texts that I felt compelled to answer. It ran my bill up so I signed up for a larger text plan size with my cell phone carrier. As noted I became whiny about all the texts, my friends backed down, but I forgot to cancel the extra text plan. Hence, an extra $15 a month on my phone bill that was useless. Time change. Maybe you’re not watching as much TV, so why not cancel cable. Maybe you do need more minutes added to your phone, so do it, because it’s cheaper than paying over limit fees. When it comes to phone, Internet, and cable, stay on top of your plans.

Buying too much in bulk: Bulk is good. To a point. Some people are bulk crazy to the point where they’ll buy almost anything in bulk, because technically it is cheaper to buy 20 lbs of wheat flour vs. five. However, bulk is no no good unless you use it AND have room to store it. I know a ton of people who have actually moved (yes moved) to have a bigger place so that one room is free to hold extra goods they accumulate including bulk items. I’ve known others who buy an extra freezer to support their bulk habits, or tons of plastic bins, or some other massive storage deal. Bulk is fine. But few people (that I’ve met) use up all their food bulk before it goes bad or everyone is sick of it. Maybe consider sticking with bulk on dry goods and paper products.

Listening when people say you need something: Salespeople are good; you have to be better. So many folks buy extra car protection when they buy a new car, or get that new must have home siding, or even (gasp) girl scout cookies. Just because it’s there and offered doesn’t mean you have to buy it. Yeah the car guy seems to know what he’s talking about (don’t count on it) and sure the girl scouts need some assistance (other people will say yes) but if a purchase is not in your budget plan learn to say, “No thank you.”

Can you think of any other dumb ways to waste money?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Extra expenses that many people aren’t willing to cut include:

• Cable TV
• Renting movies
• Buying new books
• Gum and mints
• Purchasing prepackaged foods, chips, soda, and other non-essential food items
• Long showers
• Toxic non-homemade cleaners
• Eating out but especially fast food
• Bigger cars that use more gas
• Make-up
• Two or three cars in one family
• Non necessity clothing
• Video games
• Gym memberships
• Specialty bath and body care products

I’m not saying that we should cut out all extras and stick to the same old boring stuff all the time, but if you do need to trim your budget there are almost always extras to cut. While things like gum or one bottle of soda seem small they all add up. I’ve got extras, my friends, my family, everyone I know. If you’re really struggling, why not take a short walk around your house and see which extra you own that could be cut.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

First two extremes – don’t budget the checkbook OR budget to an excess. I’m a budget to an excess type. I have to know where every single penny is at all times or I flip out. There are pros to this method. Budgeting and balancing allow you to see where your money is at all times. This is a big deal. It can seriously ease money worries to know, “I have so and so amount in the bank, which is or is not enough to cover the expenses. If it’s not enough, you can map out a plan and if it is, well, you just feel better. There are also cons (time intensive).

Now my friend who never budgets his checkbook (which I’m sorry I cannot get on board with) says, “When I budget and balance the checkbook I worry more than when I have no clue what’s in my checkbook” – so maybe it’s an out of site out of mind peace of mind, but being the extreme checkbook balance freak that I am, I just don’t get it. So I probed further. WHAT exactly makes this a worry free option?

My friend says, “Because I’m not worried that I won’t have enough money…. I start to worry about the little things, like can I afford a cup of coffee in the morning, can I afford a snack…” Keep in mind that my pal also says, “It’s not a responsible thing to handle the budget this way, you could run out of money… you might not have enough to pay the bills, but all in all I don’t worry about what I don’t have..” So, in my friend’s case, not looking at the checkbook (hardly ever) affords him the luxury of not thinking about it, not worrying about it.

Those are the two extremes. I’ve heard from plenty on both sides. Some who balance and follow a strict budget and others who don’t do either. However, the one thing these folks have in common is that they’re all worrying less than people with no method whatsoever.

For more tips read how to worry less about money.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

In December, our family moved to a very rural area.  It’s beautiful out here.  The neighbors have llamas, donkeys, horses, and cows.  It’s nice and quiet.  There’s just one problem . . . the only grocery store around is Food Lion. 

Food Lion does have some nice weekly specials that I like to stockpile, but I am really missing my Lowe’s Foods.  Each week, I would print out The Grocery Game list for Lowe’s Food, clip my coupons, and I felt a great deal of satisfaction when I rolled out of there saving such a nice chunk of change.  It was a personal goal to keep our weekly grocery budget under $75.  Many weeks I did not spend half that amount.  Some weeks I did, but our cabinets were so full!!!!  After my husband was laid off, we ate off our stockpile for months and was able to share with others too!

There are other groceries stores around in the larger cities, but who wants to drive 15-20 miles to the grocery store?  I sure don’t.  That takes a lot of extra time from my schedule. 

Since moving here, I have had to increase our food budget by at least $25 per month.  Now that we have an active, growing 11-year-old (who eats more than I do), I find I’m spending even more.  As a very thrifty person, this is really hard for me.  Sometimes I am spending over $100 per week on groceries!!!!! 

I need to put all this out of control spending to rest.  I think if I had a regular plan in place, I could start saving a lot more money.  I’m thinking I need to plan one day each week to go to “the big city” (lol) to do my grocery shopping.

What do you think?  How can this thrifty mommy get back on track?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

A study of Harvard graduates showed that those with with written goals achieve more than others.  Some words from Dave Ramsey:

Your budget is a written goal for your money.  People who win at anything have written goals.  Goals are what you are aiming at.  Your money won’t behave unless you tame it.  You need to have a budget for every month.  Spend every dollar on paper before the month begins. Give every dollar of your income a name before the month begins.  This is called zero-based budgeting.  Income-outgo=exactly zero.  Match up every income dollar until you have given it an outgo name (this includes savings).

We have learned the importance of saving for rainy days and having an emergency fund.  We are trying to live a debt free life, even with two house payments.  (Yes, it still hasn’t sold!)

How is your budget?

image from daveramsey.com

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

One of Dave Ramsey’s tips for budgeting is to use an envelope system.  You simply make an envelope for every area spending which can include: groceries, gas, childcare, entertainment/eating out, clothing, and more.  The envelope system is a great way to keep you from spending more than you had allotted.  It may take a few pay periods to find the right amount for each category.

No Credit Needed has posted a great envelope tutorial on youtube.  Check it out.

Are any of you using the envelope system?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

These last few weeks, my family has been hit as well.  We are so thankful to have our jobs.  My job is tenuous but so far, so good.  But my family hasn’t been so fortunate as of late.

• My dad was laid off in February
• My step-dad was cut to 20 hours a week from full time and lost his insurance
• My sister is waiting for her furlough
• My sister-in-law lost her job a few months ago

Keep up the hard work with finding a job.  We are praying for you.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Of course, when I brought it home, she wanted one just like it.  So I went back the next day and they had marked them up to $5 (regular price $10).  I bought her one but it was painful.  I was still happy to have mine for cheap and now Turkey Butt and I get out of the bath and sit in our wraps for a while together.  She loves it!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy