You may feel that you are at the edge of your own personal fiscal cliff. And, probably, you can't do alot to immediately and significantly increase your income. So the focus needs to turn to how we can control the "outgo".There are lots of little things we can do that, individually, don't amount to much. But collectively, they can make a big difference. We just have to convince ourselves that all these things will matter! If we do 5 things that save us $10/month each, that's $600 per year. It's so tempting to think, oh that's just $10. Think of it as compounding savings instead. Here are some household tips to spending less:
1. Wash in cold water. Your clothes will still come out clean and your power bill will be cut significantly.
2. Make your own laundry detergent. Pinterest is full of recipes to make your own laundry detergent. And dryer sheets. And cleaners. This month, I have done all three and am so excited. I made a year's worth of laundry detergent for less than $15. Dryer sheets for less than $3. TRY ONE this week and let me know about it!
3. Wear sweaters. Turn your thermostat down (try 2 degrees less than you are currently used to) and wear an extra sweater! At night, turn that thermostat waaaaaaay down. Then snuggle really close to your hubby....
4. Switch to online billpay and save a stamp!
5. Use 1/2 a paper towel and dryer sheet instead of a whole one.
6. Cut out cable. (I realize that can cause marital distress in some households so I do advise conferring with your spouse before doing this one!)
7. Change filters in HAC units to keep them running efficiently.
8.Take shorter showers!
9. Only run the dishwasher when it's full.
10. Don't pay someone else to do what you can do (maid service, oil changes, etc.)
11. If you MUST eat out, order water instead of a soft drink and have your kids do the same. And not just when you eat out, drink water at home, too!!
12. See how long you can stretch out that bottle of shampoo. Mark the date you open it on the bottle with a sharpie. Then add the date you finish and see if you can beat it next time!
13. Put off replacing things as long as possible. (OK, don't be unsafe -- if your cardiologist tells you to get a new pacemaker, do it now!) But otherwise, see if you can make do a bit longer with those boots. Or that coffeemaker. Or that sofa....
14. Train your kids to turn lights off when they leave a room. And not to waste things.
15. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Seriously.
16. Swap services with a friend. Maybe she can cut your hair and you can babysit her kids for free. Whatever.
17. Repurpose and reuse. Paul just built a new deck with the boards from the old one!
18. Discover new ways to do things cheaper -- I wanted a way to hang my scarves. Decided, of course, against the pricey options for sale at the boutique and found a frugal idea online. I bought shower curtain rings and slipped them on a wood hanger. Presto! 20 scarves neatly hanging in my closet! easy to access and even looks pretty, too!
19. Cook at home. And use your freezer to store those great deals you stock up on. AND THEN, use what's in your freezer!!! Also, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to prepare expensive gourmet dishes. There are plenty of healthy, low cost, tasty recipes out there. Oh, and when you have friends over, know the difference between "entertaining" and "showing hospitality". Entertaining is bound to be more expensive....because the focus is on receiving praise. Showing hospitality focuses on ministering to others and meeting their needs. Much less pricey!
20. Hang out with homeschool Moms. That's where most of my tips come from. This group seems to always know how to do things for less!!!
What are some things you do at your house to cut costs?
1. Wash in cold water. Your clothes will still come out clean and your power bill will be cut significantly.
2. Make your own laundry detergent. Pinterest is full of recipes to make your own laundry detergent. And dryer sheets. And cleaners. This month, I have done all three and am so excited. I made a year's worth of laundry detergent for less than $15. Dryer sheets for less than $3. TRY ONE this week and let me know about it!
3. Wear sweaters. Turn your thermostat down (try 2 degrees less than you are currently used to) and wear an extra sweater! At night, turn that thermostat waaaaaaay down. Then snuggle really close to your hubby....
4. Switch to online billpay and save a stamp!
5. Use 1/2 a paper towel and dryer sheet instead of a whole one.
6. Cut out cable. (I realize that can cause marital distress in some households so I do advise conferring with your spouse before doing this one!)
7. Change filters in HAC units to keep them running efficiently.
8.Take shorter showers!
9. Only run the dishwasher when it's full.
10. Don't pay someone else to do what you can do (maid service, oil changes, etc.)
11. If you MUST eat out, order water instead of a soft drink and have your kids do the same. And not just when you eat out, drink water at home, too!!
12. See how long you can stretch out that bottle of shampoo. Mark the date you open it on the bottle with a sharpie. Then add the date you finish and see if you can beat it next time!
13. Put off replacing things as long as possible. (OK, don't be unsafe -- if your cardiologist tells you to get a new pacemaker, do it now!) But otherwise, see if you can make do a bit longer with those boots. Or that coffeemaker. Or that sofa....
14. Train your kids to turn lights off when they leave a room. And not to waste things.
15. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Seriously.
16. Swap services with a friend. Maybe she can cut your hair and you can babysit her kids for free. Whatever.
17. Repurpose and reuse. Paul just built a new deck with the boards from the old one!
18. Discover new ways to do things cheaper -- I wanted a way to hang my scarves. Decided, of course, against the pricey options for sale at the boutique and found a frugal idea online. I bought shower curtain rings and slipped them on a wood hanger. Presto! 20 scarves neatly hanging in my closet! easy to access and even looks pretty, too!
19. Cook at home. And use your freezer to store those great deals you stock up on. AND THEN, use what's in your freezer!!! Also, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to prepare expensive gourmet dishes. There are plenty of healthy, low cost, tasty recipes out there. Oh, and when you have friends over, know the difference between "entertaining" and "showing hospitality". Entertaining is bound to be more expensive....because the focus is on receiving praise. Showing hospitality focuses on ministering to others and meeting their needs. Much less pricey!
20. Hang out with homeschool Moms. That's where most of my tips come from. This group seems to always know how to do things for less!!!
What are some things you do at your house to cut costs?