$$ Saving Money $$

mm&mm

With rising gas costs and rising food costs, are you doing anything special to cut costs? Using coupons? Limiting driving? Share your money saving ideas please.

bg-kc

the most drastic thing we've done is cut off our dish network, but that had to do as much with the fact that we hardly ever watched it as it did with $$ reasons. instead of cable, we signed up with netflix, so we still save a substantial amount of $$ and we've been just as happy.  happier, even, because we know we'll get stuff from netflix that we want/like to watch vs. trying to find something on tv that we both wanted to see.  that was nearly impossible, so we'd end up just turning it off and doing something else or renting a movie anyway. 

one of the best things is that I'VE cut back on my trips to target, joann's, etc. i might go in for 1 thing but would come out with 20.  i think we all know how that goes.  so now, i only go with a list in hand (and i have to stick to that list) or dh by my side, so he can keep me in check.  lol  besides, i was using a lot more gas driving to the store more often, so this helped us in more ways than one.

another of our big things was cutting back on alcohol.  again, this wasn't all about the $$...not that we drank like fish or anything (we're not alchies!!!), but dh wanted to cut back how much beer he bought for health reasons.  i rarely drink anyway, so this was really more of a cutback on his side.

other than that, we've just been doing smaller things...watching for sales, closely monitoring our frivolous spending, i plan menus more carefully so we buy in bulk at costco and i freeze meals which has helped cut back on grocery expenses, limiting the sheer # of trips we make (we used to run to the store for 1-2 things at a time on a regular basis...we now only make a couple larger trips every 1-2 weeks). 

we'll use coupons occasionally, but i prefer to shop sales rather than have to worry about clipping, organizing and handling coupons. 

 oh, and we cut back on our coffee habits!  this was big for us b/c we drink coffee like it's water.  we buy good coffee for home, keep a few syrups on hand and we save a decent amount of $$.  plus, i no longer even miss coffee from our favorite places since we both can make a mean pot of coffee. practice makes perfect, right?  

Rubyshoes19

We're only eating out now on Sundays - our "date night". This is huge for us, as I really hate to cook. Plus, with our opposite schedules, I'm usually just cooking for myself, and putting his in the fridge, or vice versa.

Temp76535187505890

I really wish we were doing more things than we are. ?None of our changes (or really *my* changes) are a result of the gas prices but because I havent worked in the past year since we returned from Germany and now we're moving again with a kid on the way and it doesnt look like I'll be working again. ?But I digress....

?The main things I try to do are on the shopping side of things. ?I used to be an online, frivolous item shopaholic. ?I'd buy whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it just because. ?Now I talk myself out of it and have the conversation in my head on whether I really *need* that item. ?Sometimes it doesnt work but most of the time it does.

?I've also do the weekly meal planning thing because multiple trips to the store each week KILLS us in extras we just dont need. ?

?Living in Leavenworth has really helped in that I dont visit Target except for once in a blue moon since I have to drive down to Legends to find one. ?If we had one close I'd be done for! ?Why is it I always think I *need* things at Target? ?

?Oh, I refuse to turn on the AC even though DH turned it on the other day. ?I promptly turned it off and he hasnt mentioned it so we'll see if we can make it through the next 3 weeks before we move.

?Sadly, we are looking at changing one of our vehicles and we're not moving to a more fuel efficient vehicle, in fact, we're headed the opposite direction. ?Not a fiscally smart move but there are other factors at work besides fuel costs. ?

?Whew, I'm quite wordy tonight.....?

shakespearenluv

Yes, especially with a baby on the way!  DH drives a gas-guzzling Jeep so he has been riding his bike to the gym and grocery store.  We are definitely limiting our trips to places that would waste gas.  We are also discussing becoming a one-car family during my maternity leave.

We're kind of on a spending "freeze" until after I go back to work in November.  No big purchases on anything.  We are building up our e-fund and trying to make smarter decisions.

For instance, I recently discovered Red Box at McDonalds so instead of going to the movies we have been renting movies for $1.  We are strictly following our budget right now and have been able to pay down a huge amount of debt.

Jen748

***I see this post after I just posted about buying a new TV and Wii**

 

Sheepishly enters post! ~

 

We, obviously aren't doing much cutting back, but that is mainly b/c we have been living the poor live for the past year and a half through school! Brett finally has a job that pays enough for a person to live off of! We paid for all of Brett's classes in cash plus all the books for both of us so we didn't have much money left over each month! Now we don't have those expenses and we have his increased income!

I am pretty anal with our money anyway so we don't spend a lot of fun money mostly. We save a significant amount and are on a two year debt free plan (minus the house) to finish off our remaining debt (my student loan and our one car payment).

 I am a bit more aware of our driving while gas prices up so much but DH was driving around 45 min on average every day one way to work or school and now that is down to 20 minutes one way 3 days a week!