15 Ways to Save Money

Every New Year we take stock of our finances and make some financial goals for the next year.   This year I am hoping to implement some of these – down payment here we come! Here are some things we’ll be doing in our house to help us reach our goals.

1. To curb impulse buys, create a 30-day list. When we want to buy something, other than a true necessity (medicine or food, for example), we’ll put it on this list, with the date it was added to the list. We can't buy anything for at least 30 days after it was put on the list. Hopefully, we’ll buy a lot less with this system.
2. ONLY shop from a list.   If it is not on the list we will NOT BUY IT.   I will have to check off an inventory list of all things I could need and highlight what we’re out or low.
3. Grocery Shop at Discount Grocery Stores whenever possible.   There is a Salvage Grocery Store off 121 and Beech in Fort Worth.   There are a lot of great deals there.
4. Mix ground beef with an egg and several handfuls of quick oats (makes the meat go farther).   Use in meatballs, meat loaf, etc.
5. Go meatless 1-2 nights a week.   Yay for dry beans!   They are VERY cheap and filling.
6. Wash our clothes inside out so they will look nicer longer ¦ and only wash if something is truly dirty.
7. Instead of a cap-full of fabric softener, put some on a towel and throw it in with the dryer.   A quarter size spill on the towel can do about 3 loads “ a great way to save softener!   Also, we’ll make our own laundry detergent.   It costs only pennies per load!
8. In a room that has a tendency to be dark, put a mirror near the light to refract the light around the room.   One light bulb has the power of two with this trick!
9. Check your insurance.   We were able to save $600 a year when we switched companies, combined our house and auto onto the same plan, and added $500 to our deductible.
10. Limit the number of toys our children are able to have in the house.   This will lower the clutter, increase the value of the toys you currently own, increase our kids creativity as they learn to play with less, and also will decrease spending on toys.
11. Rather than buy a newspaper for the coupons, go to your library, usually they do not mind allowing you to clip the coupons you need ¦ and my kids can attend story time at the same time!
12. Go green and cloth diaper my kiddos.   If you use this cloth diapering method your whole stash can cost less than a hundred dollars and can potentially be handed down to future kiddos.   Cloth diapering also encourages early potty-training!
13. Eat out rarely if ever!   And if we are going to eat out, only drink water.   Also, check your newspapers for discounts and grand openings; you can usually get more for your buck then.
14. Get movies for your Friday night from the library rather than Blockbuster or netflix.   They are usually free!   Also check out Hulu.   They have a number of TV shows online for free!
15. Love Cabella’s and the Bass Pro Shop!   We take our kids there instead of the zoo.   It's free to walk around and the stuffed animals don't move so you actually get to see them!   Call ahead of time and be there for the fish feeding.

This list is an excerpt from the article: 50 Tips to be Frugal found at Quirky Momma.   Rachel is a resident of Roanoke and mom to three rambunctious preschoolers.   You can find other articles by her at Quirky Momma.