This year we are trying to save as much money as we can. We’ve spent the past couple of weeks changing some spending habits and brainstorming creative ways to cut costs without feeling like we are going without. I thought some of these ideas may help another family so I wanted to share them with you all and if you have more ideas I’d love for you to leave a comment below so I can try some new ideas out next month.
1) Turn the heat down. We turned the heat down two degrees and are snuggling under more blankets and pulling out the slippers. Since we keep it so warm in our home I hope to turn down the temp by a couple more degrees next month.
2) Cut out the expensive coffee drinks. {Okay, so this month it’s more like drink less of them instead of cut them out completely…one step at a time here…} I still like Iced Coffee so I’ve been drinking International Delight coffee I can buy from the grocery store. It’s not the same as my favorite Starbucks drinks but it is only $3 or $4 for a whole carton as opposed to $5+ for one drink.
3) Enjoy more time at home. We’d love to go to the movies and see Frozen but we are waiting until it comes out on DVD. We are also enjoying family night in our tv room playing board games instead of going places that cost money.
4) Ask for discounts on monthly costs. Check to see if there are discounts or specials you can get from your utility companies or any other companies you pay monthly. Our cable company was running a special for digital cable and we are getting the same amount of channels, faster internet and saving over $30 per month just by switching our modem. Over the course of a year that is an extra $360 we will have saved just on one of our expenses.
5) Save on gas by driving less. I work from home but Sinisa drives an hour to work and back every day. We can’t do anything about the money spent on gas to work but we have been trying to limit driving to places we need to go and combining errands together in the same trips.
6) Eat less fast food and more leftovers. Fast food and quick meals are a big expense for us (not to mention an unhealthy habit). Working so much it’s so easy to have Sinisa grab something on his way home but I’ve been keeping our money goal in mind and finding food in our pantry and fridge to eat. I am horrible about having leftovers in my fridge and letting them go to waste as well so I’ve been making it a point to eat leftovers whenever I can.
7) Turn lights off when not in the room. This is something I always heard when I was a kid and a rule that was so easy to break unintentionally. Not sure how much money it will save us but every little bit helps right?
8) Stay out of stores and off Amazon. Somehow I always manage to go into Target with a short list and come out with a cart full. I’ve always been a shopper and the only way I can guarantee I won’t buy anything I don’t need is if I stay out of the stores. This might sound extreme but if Sinisa can go to the store and get what we need and I don’t have to then why tempt myself with Target’s dollar section or that delicious looking dessert in the bakery section? When I do go into the store the key will be sticking to my list.
These are great tips! My family actually has the same goal and I’ve been tracking spending on an Excel sheet (yes, I’m a nerd). It’s amazing how much we spend on coffee…those $5 lattes add up QUICK!
I need to get better at tracking our spending but yes, the coffees add up quickly! Cutting down on those has been a huge savings.
Staying out of stores is a big tip. I know I’m not super good about not adding an extra item to my cart, so I just don’t go into the store. Once you spend it it’s gone. Hello from Thrifty Thursday.