Ten on Tuesday is saving my behind once again. And so I present:
10 Ways You Can Save Money
1. Install a programmable thermostat. We did this last winter and I can’t believe the difference it has made for us. Plus, now I don’t get in bed and then wonder if I remembered to turn the thermostat down.
2. Bring your lunch from home. I’ll admit that I’m not very good about this. If we have leftovers I’m all set with that but making and bringing a sandwich? So not me. Lean Cuisine gets pretty dull after a while, too. I’m open to suggestions for lunch ideas that can be brought from home.
3. One thing I am pretty good about is meal planning. I grocery shop on Fridays and try very hard to have my meals planned at that time. This really eliminates those last minute take out meals and those can sure get expensive.
4. This time of year I’ve got baking on my mind and you can really save some money if you bake your own cookies. I can whip out a batch of chocolate chip cookies in less than an hour and it costs pennies. They taste a lot better than the store bought ones, too.
5. Consider handmade gifts. Do you read Whip Up? There are great craft ideas on that site and they are often cheap, always beautiful, and mostly easy.
6. The American Library Association would take away my license to library if I didn’t tell you that using the library can save you a ton of money. Sure, you might not get the latest bestseller or most recently released DVD as quickly as you would if you bought it but you’ll get it eventually and it won’t cost you a dime. As long as you return it on time, of course.
7. Check out Craig’s List & eBay before you buy something. Not only can you find great used items but you can often find brand new items for less.
8. Being green can really save you money, too. Using cloth napkins, replacing your old light bulbs with CF light bulbs, insulating your water heater, bottling your own water, are just a few things that will not only be good for the environment but good for your wallet, too.
9. Buy generics. Whether it’s medicine or potato chips, I believe in the value of generic brand items.
10. Finally, stay home. Stay out of the stores, stay away from the mall. There’s lot of entertainment right there at home. Just bring out your knitting and you’ll be entertained for hours without spending a dime. Well. Other than all that money you spent on yarn. Ahem.
So that’s my list. I don’t feel like it’s very original and I don’t always follow my own advice. In fact, I’d love to hear any ideas you all have on ways to save money because honestly, this time of year, I feel like all I’m doing is spending money!
Excellent suggestions! I know going to the library has saved us a LOT.
If anyone who’s baking cookies doesn’t already have one of the small ice cream-type scoops, it’s a wonderful way to speed up the process. I used to avoid drop cookies because of the hassle, but getting the scoop has change my attitude 🙂
Every other day I cook a double batch of oatmeal (not instant) to eat that day and the next. I have really been focusing on ‘feed the freezer’ lately so I enjoy spending a weekend day making a few entrees to freeze, or making extras when I’m cooking on a certain night. Everthing gets packaged in individual containers or a meal’s worth. Carnitas. Taco mix. Purchased rotisserie chickens picked apart and frozen. South of the Border Veggie Bake. Pizza. Spiral-sliced ham baked, picked apart & frozen, then bean soup. Cooked pinto beans frozen in meal-size amounts for refried. I never buy bread anymore but use tortillas a lot for lunch (they keep longer), so I just throw them in a big Ziploc and add deli meat or a meat from the freezer, veggies, cheese, etc. Soups. Crockpot applesauce. Stir-fry. There are always leftovers to use but I rarely eat the same thing for dinner one night and lunch the next. And I love to know that I’m going to make it to the next payday! My son & DIL hate leftovers, so I sometimes take theirs for a little variety.
This list is excellent and doesn’t require tons of effort. Also: I really liked KMKat’s lunch suggestion, but can I have a nice chilled White Zinfandel with mine instead of merlot? That would be really nice.
I, too, find the public library to be a great resource for books, music, magazines, etc. Most libraries now have internet access, so if you only surf the web occasionally, you could surf at the local library (for free) and save yourself the cost of having the internet at home. Where I live, I can go online at the library for 2 hours per day up to 6 days per week.
another really good list.
I am pretty good at meal planning.. I do most of my cooking on one day, and then freeze it into single portions – works fairly well, and saves on trips to the grocery store.