Years ago I enjoyed using coupons and became fairly good at it. I loved the thrill of finding a good deal. I still love that feeling but my shopping style and the different variety of stores here has me opting to save money in different ways. If 2019 has you starting the year with financial goals check out my list of 7 simple ways to save money.
- Stay home. Do you really need to go to the store or can you wait a bit longer? Going to a store if you are just trying to get out of the house is a sure-fire way to spend money you don’t need to. You’ll also save gas if you aren’t driving unnecessarily.
- Eat at home-Pack your lunch for work, plan ahead and pack a meal if you are out of the house at dinner time. No reason why your family can’t eat a quick sandwich in the parking lot on the way in to band or basketball practice. Get creative and remember it doesn’t have to be glamorous. Are you at church for choir and a meeting? Can you pop a casserole in the church kitchen? Get your kids used to packing food. It’s a hard habit for some people to get into and if your children are used to it early on they’ll be that much closer to being smart with their finances in the future.
- Meal Plan- Hands down my favorite way to save cash on groceries and save stress. You’ll waste less food and avoid un necessary trips to the store (see number 1)
- Consignment stores- Find a quality and well shopped consignment store. There is a good chance you can clear out a few bags of out grown clothes in your or your children’s closets. Bring those in and you can have some credit waiting for you in a short bit. Turn that credit into whatever clothes your kiddos need for the upcoming season. It’s a treat to go in and have a good chunk of your bill be covered by credit!
- Eat less food- Sounds harsh but bear with me. If you think about a second helping as another serving for another meal tomorrow it can be a bit easier to pass up the second helping. Chances are you aren’t actually hungry and it’d sure be nice to have a meal all made for tomorrow.
- Cook homemade- A better ingredient list plus it’s cheaper. It’s a win win. Start slow and don’t think every single thing you make has to be homemade the very first time you try to move your kitchen in this direction. Start with salad dressing, this is a great starting point.
- Utilize your library- Go as a family and spend some time perusing books, playing with toys and just relaxing. It’s free entertainment and you can all go home with new books to read and maybe a movie for a free movie night. This is a great way to get involved in your community.
Thats my quick list of ways to save money. What are some ways you focus on saving money for your family?
