Do you need to save money but still want to live your life? We understand that can be a difficult balance for most of us. However we have all learned first hand things can happen. Whether it be a pandemic; the economy losing a job or a vehicle breaking down. Any of these scenarios can quickly change our finances and our lives. I am always looking for ways to save money where I can.
Alyssa and I have both been in the flat broke of broke times and the not as broke times. Through our struggles we have found these different ways to save money. While we needed to save money we also wanted to live life and have fun. We compiled a list of ways to save money to reach our goals and live the life we wanted. Hopefully they will be helpful for you as well.
First you need to figure out your budget; household income, bills both fixed and variable. Once you have figured out where you are at then you see where you need to cut your spending.
My family’s biggest expense is eating out and groceries. The hardest part to budget for us is the gas. With the fluctuating costs and a job that requires driving to work sites it can be difficult to budget.
Eating out costs the most
Cutting down our eating out expenses was huge but in order to do that we had to do some planning. My Husband works as a painter and has lunch on the job site. When he doesn’t pack his lunch then he has to buy lunch and that became very expensive. In one week between lunch and breakfasts he had spent $185! This all adds up very quickly, continuing at this rate he would have spent $740 in a month! My truck payment is only $531 a month. Not only could this cover my payment but also pay a chunk off of our credit card.
To save money on his eating out bill, we looked for food that could stay cool during summer. He could keep them in a cooler in his truck. For example chicken salad sandwiches are his favorite. If bread was not an option he would take crackers. For breakfast we made breakfast sandwiches, so easy to make ahead and freeze. Warming up your breakfast for 2 minutes is faster than trying to make it when you are tired in the morning. If you have to make it then you are more than likely going to skip it and be hungry later and buy some fast food or snacks. Finally it took some will power.
Coffee
I LOVE COFFEE! That being said you can probably guess what my kryptonite is. I love my local coffee stand, I would go every day and when we went on the weekends it was not just me getting drinks it was my whole family. I use my Nespresso and bring my coffee to work 5 days a week. On the weekends I still get coffee from the coffee stand as treat as a family (dogs included). By simply cutting back the number of times we have saved $200-400 a month. Luckily on Pinterest you can find your favorite coffee recipes to make at home, so it’s not really like you are missing out.
Groceries
Another big spender for us is grocery shopping. Both my husband and I see “extras” whether it be on sale, new flavor or even a treat and throw it in the cart.
Thanks to Alyssa’s advice I have tried grocery shopping online with curbside pickup. “Melanie you will save so much money and be able to plan out your dinners and see what you need for them and compare prices between stores. Trust me it will save you so much money.” Alyssa was right! I feel so much more organized I know what I need I don’t have to go inside and risk spending way more than my budget allows. By knowing what I have and have a plan for everything I get it cuts back on food waste as well.
A perfect example of this is that my husband Matt went to the store and picked up dinner for a couple nights some sweet tea (his addiction) and some snacks total spent was a little over $200. I ordered online planned it out with the meals for 2 weeks and stuff for lunches and my total was $148. I also got double the rewards points for saving money on gas.
How to save with a baby
My daughter is due to have her first child in December. Even though Alyssa’s daughter is a toddler both of us are well versed in saving money with a baby. Here are our baby saving tips and even if you are not having a baby you may need a baby shower gift for a friend and wish to stay on budget.
First shop beginning of the next season for the previous season’s clothing now on clearance. Some of these items are as low as $1-$2 and if you know that next summer your baby will be 6 months and you are due in December. Pick up that 6 month outfit for $2 for the future and save compared to spending the full $20 or more. Just between friends happens all over the place locally where you can buy used kids/baby clothing, strollers, toys, shoes and much more. Also you can make money by selling your items at these events as well this can help offset some of the price of kids.
Among a few others are your local free groups (usually found on Facebook) or Facebook market place. Alyssa’s immediate neighbors have a free page just for them. Through this page she has picked up Rosetta stone, a wine fridge, just to name a few. Several people just want to get rid of stuff and set it out on the curb with a free sign, Goodwill and other second hand stores have great finds as well. Not just for clothes but furniture as well. Slap a little paint change some knobs you can make any dresser, bed frame, night stand or vanity look new.
Coupons
Every week I’m clicking all the digital coupons available in my grocery apps. This way if Matt goes shopping without me I can still get the best price. With that being said I also stock up when something is on sale. Costco had Irish spring soap bars on sale for $8 for 10 bars. I bought 10 boxes as it was the limit. Matt will only use Irish Spring so even though we have a lot of them I know we will use them. My purchase won’t go to waste and the sliver bars of soap I use outside as bug repellent around the house.
Finally the biggest way we save money is with sourdough. Alyssa and I make our own sourdough with our discard. I have made sandwich bread, crackers, cinnamon rolls, garlic rolls, blueberry streusel muffins and the options are truly endless. Saving $4-$7 a loaf and knowing exactly what is in my food is a win win in my book.
I hope these ideas can help ya’ll save money and live, until next time keep on “surviving mamas”!