1)  Commit to eating all of your meals at home for the next two weeks.  No more last minute eating out; no more trips through the drive-thru.

2)  Plan your meals for the week.  Look through the sales flyers, look in your pantry and freezer.  Plan your meals according to what is on sale and what you already have.

3)  Take a snack and a drink with you.  Whenever we leave the house, we usually take a container of ice water and a snack.  Many times we are out of the house longer than anticipated.  It’s good to be prepared in order to avoid pulling over at the drive-thru or gas station.

4)  Make your own coffee.  Coffee is one of my weaknesses.  The problem is my favorite coffee drink costs over $4.  I have learned to make my own at home.

5)  Look for inexpensive entertainment.  Forget going to the movies and other expensive outings.  Have a family game night or rent a movie from redbox.  Check out your local city’s website for free and low cost activities.

What ways can you cut your expenses?

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Here are two apple crates that we’re using as bookcases.  My hubby and I found these in a yard sale many years ago as we were traveling up the mountain to Virginia.  I think we paid $10 for both of them.  We have been using these for about six years and have really enjoyed them.

If you have any old dresser drawers, you could use them as potting boxes.  I saw this recently at a pumpkin patch and thought it was so cute.  If you use these on a railing (as shown here), don’t forget to attach them so that they don’t fall.

This old chair is a favorite in our home.  My husband found it a few years ago at a yard sale for about $5.  He cleaned it up and now Emma sits proudly on it in our dining room.  We really like the rustic look of the chair. 

These are a few ideas of how you can take some old junk and make it into a special treasure.  What ways have you repurposed your old things?

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1)  Use it for Christmas.  The candy that doesn’t have Halloween colored wrapper would work well in the kids’ stockings.  No sense in spending money on new candy when you have plenty.  Set some aside for later.

2)  Put out a candy bowl at work.  A little Snickers bar or Reese’s cup helps make the day a little brighter.  Cheer up your co-worker’s day with a little treat.

3)  Put it in your shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  Each year, our family does several shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse.  I usually save our hard candy for the shoeboxes.  Of course, you’ll want to inspect the candy first and pick out the non-perishable stuff.  Put it in a sandwich size ziploc bag and place in the shoebox with your other items.  Don’t forget - collection dates for shoeboxes are this month!

4)  Use the candy in recipes.  I’ve heard of people adding chopped Milky Way bars to their cake batter or making homemade ice cream.  Search the internet and I’m sure you’ll find recipes.

5)  Donate it.  The local food bank could use it as a special treat to put in their food boxes for those in need.  Perhaps your child’s teacher could use it as a special treat or in the prize box.  Some schools have policies against using sweets, so check with the teacher.

What ways can you use the leftover candy?

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Last night we went to the community fall festival.  There were games, vendors, inflatables, candy, horse rides, face painting, and all kinds of fun stuff.  It was all free! 

Last night Alligator Girl wanted to be a ballerina.  She already had the outfit.  Her cousin had recently outgrown it and passed it down.  Alligator Girl was excited to wear it out in public.

Cuddlebug was a baseball player.  We had the hat and shirt and he got the baseball bat last year for Christmas.

Tonight, Alligator Girl was a chef and Cuddlebug was a knight.  I had bought the chef outfit earlier this year from a clearance sale for only $4.  I was going to save it for her for Christmas, but she wanted to be something unique for Halloween, so I went ahead and gave it to her.  She definitely was the only chef around.  I got Cuddlebug’s knight parts at Dollar Tree for $1 each.  I wasn’t sure if he was going to use them for Halloween, but at $3, I couldn’t pass it up.  I knew they’d make cool dress-up clothes.

J’s not legally adopted yet, so I can’t show you pics of him.  The first night he wanted to be a ninja.  I was so thankful that Linette posted these homemade costume ideas because one of them was for a ninja.  Tonight J was a baseball player.

The kids (and adults) had a great time and very little money was spent.  I hope this encourages you know that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun.

Was your Halloween thrifty?

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My hubby and I dropped by the local antique/furniture/junk store this week.  We just never know what we’ll find.  I have been dropping in there frequently lately because I was looking for something for my tv to sit on.  I found a beautiful big dresser but it was $350.  Ouch.  I even considered it.  After all, it would be a lifelong beautiful piece.  Thankfully, we went back a few days later and found this entertainment center.  We paid only $45 for it!  I’m so excited!

The cabinet also has room underneath for our dvds and such.  We plan to keep that television for only another year or two, so it’s best that we didn’t pay much for a tv cabinet.  After we get a flatscreen for the wall, we can move this entertainment center to our bedroom to use as an armoire (since it has doors) or to one of the kid’s rooms.

What deals have you found lately?

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1.  Borrow books from friends. Of course, be willing to let them borrow your books too.

2.  Shop yard sales and thrift stores. Sometimes you can find some great deals in those stores.  Once while shopping at Good Will, I found a bunch of Scholastic books and some curriculum.  It was obvious that a teacher had donated it all.

3.  Shop online. I’m thinking Craigslist, Ebay, and Amazon.  Of course, there are other sites.

4.  Visit the library. The library may not have every book you ever wanted, but the computer database they have allows you to search other libraries in the area.  If another local branch has the book they can put it on hold for you.

5.  Try a book swap. A local business that I used to frequent had a small book exchange inside.  You could swap books without any money spend or commitment.  If nothing like this is around in your area, perhaps you could organize something at your home with friends or for the public at a community center.

6.  Shop at book exchange stores. These are stores that sale mostly used books.  You can buy, sell, or trade.

7.  Order in bulk. If you’re part of a book club, see if you club can order in bulk.  Sometimes you can save 50% or more on your books this way.

8.  Be realistic about what you purchase. How many times have you bought a book and then never read it?  I know I’ve done this a few times.  Be realistic and save money.

9.  Shop at warehouse stores. Stores such as Sam’s Club, BJs, and Costco can offer great savings on books because they buy such a large quantity.

10.  Get the download. Many books are available online for download as a much lower price.  The downfall is there is no hard copy, but some people like that option.

What ways do you save money on books?

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They say opposites attract and I guess that can be true of friendships as well.  I have had three close friendships.  I’m talking tight, share all secrets with girlfriends.  All three of these ladies had issues with spending.  After being friends with them for a while, I noticed that all of them began to tone down their spending, their impulsive shopping, their wild credit card spending, and they began to look for bargains on the things they purchased. 

Of course when you are close friends with someone, you talk about life.  You talk about the things you buy, the reasons you buy them, what your long term goals are, what you’re saving for, and if money is tight you talk about that too.  Here are some things I have mentioned to my friends that I feel has caused them to be more aware of their spending:

• My objection to car payments – Try to save for a vehicle, pay cash if possible, finance as little as possible, don’t go for a high dollar car, and also the crazy depreciation rates.
• Don’t charge it – Basically, if you can’t afford to pay cash for it, you don’t need it.
• Impulse shopping – Avoid making impulse purchases. Think about it.  Plan for it.  Decide if you can afford it.
• Comparison shop – Look around for the best bargain.  Shop the sales.
• Use coupons – Try to use coupons on groceries, dining out, and entertainment.
• Plan for the future – Leave within your means and save for the future.  Save for a rainy day so that you don’t have to use credit for emergencies.

Have your finances affected your friends?

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With only one grocery store in town, I was left with the option of shopping there or driving 30 minutes each way.  My grocery bill had jumped 30% and something needed to be done.  It took me a few months to develop a system for saving money, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.

Here are some tips for saving money in a small town.

1)  Talk to friends and neighbors.  Let them know that you’re trying to find the best deals.  They may have suggestions for certain grocery stores or they may know of some discount grocery stores in the area.  Now that my friends know that I’m looking for deals, they sometimes email me to let me know of good sales.

2)  Stock up on deals when they have them.  I’ve mentioned the stockpiling/buying ahead principle before.  If something that you use is at a rock bottom price, stockpile that item while you can.  My husband doesn’t understand why I bought 15 cans of tuna last month.  It was 3/$1.  We won’t be needing tuna for a while and now it won’t cost me $1/can.

3)  Comparison price online.  Subscribe to grocery store weekly sales that are within 30 minutes of your home. 

4)  Shop in the city on occasion.  After comparison shopping online, plan to take part of your day to shop in the city.  Plan your route with your sale information to save money and time.

5)  Check your town’s website.  Some towns have their own website which includes information about free events, coupons to businesses, and promotions in the area.

Do you have any tips for saving money in a small town?

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One concern that some have about switching to cloth napkins is the cost involved. Here are some ways to save.

1)  Shop for used napkins.  You can find napkins at thrift stores and yard sales.  Many times you can find interesting fabrics and laces that you can no longer find in the stores.

2)  Make your own.  Use scrap fabric that you already have or make them from an old sheet.

3)  Check the dollar store or close out store.  My mom was able to find three packages of napkins at a pottery store for only $1 per pack.  That’s 12 napkins for only $3. 

4)  Ask your mom or grandma.  Mention to your them that you would like to have some cloth napkins and they might just have some shoved in a cabinet somewhere that they haven’t used in years.  Moms and grandmas are good for stuff like that.

5)  Improvise.  We used dish towels for a few days and my hubby and I actually like these pretty well because they are soft and absorbent.  One of my readers at Keeping the Castle suggested using bandanas.

Have you made the switch to cloth napkins?

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4.  Repurpose what you have.  Paint that old lamp or picture frame. Change your night stand into a bookshelf.  Recover your old pillows with fabric. Use a sheet for window treatments. 

5.  Get an outside opinion.  It helps to ask someone else’s opinion for ways to help your decorating space.  Many times others will see things you didn’t see and have ideas you had never thought about.  They may suggest moving a piece of furniture or changing a wall hanging.  Those small inexpensive tips can make a big impact.

6.  Borrow furniture.  When I first got married, I didn’t have any living room furniture.  I ended up borrowing some things from my parent’s house.  All you have to do is get the word out to friends and family that you need some items for your home.  Some people have things in their basement that are just sitting around collecting dust.  Some will let you borrow things and others will just let you have the stuff. 

7.  Be patient.  You can’t expect your home to look perfect right away.  It takes moving things around, searching for deals, and tweaking things a bit.  It will all come together eventually.

What tips do you have for decorating on the cheap?

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