You ladies have shared some great tips ... I'll probably repeat some of them so
forgive me.
I left a full-time, high-paying job when we moved from one state to another and then I became a SAHM. We had plenty of corners that needed to be cut. We checked all of our normal, monthly bills and pared them down the best we could, no movie stations ... just basic cable, unlimited long distance for a flat fee (which ended up saving us $30 or more per month as all of our family lives in other states), went on the budget plan through our utility company, etc.
I don't use a dryer in the spring, summer or fall ... I hang everything out on our line which saves us LOTS of money because gas is so expensive here. I've also begun making alot of my own cleaners like fabric softener,
room cleanser, etc. which saves lots on the cleaning products bills. In the summer I use a toaster oven to cook as many meals as possible (when I don't want to grill something on the grill outside) which
s keep the heat down in the house and we don't use an air conditioner unless it's 92 or above. I also make many of my own seasonings rather than buying those little packets (I have plenty of recipes) and it's worth the effort.
I, too, buy in bulk whenever I can. Whenever the meats are marked down due to expiration dates I buy up as much as I can. Yes, it goes over my grocery budget but lowers it for the following month since the cost of the meat is so much less. I've also reduced the amount of meat I use in our meals. I feed five people (two of them are growing boys) on three
en breasts cut in half. I also buy
en with the bones and skin on them and I skin and debone them myself. I shop at Aldi stores (over the years they have truly improved their food products and many of their items are just as good as the name brand foods) and then I supplement by
at Wal-Mart ... I use coupons very infrequently ... unless there is an excellent deal because even with the coupons I find that store brands are a better financial deal than name brand items with coupons ... not always but most of the time. I've also started making home-made soups and stews and used them during the fall and winter months as a 1st course for dinner so then the main meal can be much smaller and I fill the family up on fruits and vegetables which cost so much less than meat!!
For myself and my mother, we buy ALL of our clothes at our local Volunteers of American, Goodwill or Salvation Army stores. If you go often, your very careful and look the items over carefully and keep a list of needs based on what is in your closet ... you can save a bundle and get some fantastic designer clothing for a song!! It's tough to get kids clothing (especially boys) at these places because kids are so hard on clothes but there are times where I can find things for them. Men are similar to boys because men seem to keep their clothing until they are ready to fall apart LOL.
With cleaning products that I do purchase ... like brillo pads, I cut them in half. This is a two-fold tip because it keeps the pads from rusting on the edge of the sink before it's completely used up AND ... using scissors to cut them in half ... the pad sharpens the scissors. I also cut my dryer sheets in half ... unless I have an unusually large load to dry (and I only use the dryer in the winter months). I use the water from the dehumidifier in my washer or in my iron. I get my
hpaste from the Dollar Store and it is name brand
hpaste.
The boys love using body wash when they shower so I buy those netted scrunchies (whatever they are called) and when they begin to unravel, my hubby cuts them into lengths (the scrunchies are made up of netting in tubes) and uses wire to tie them onto our washer drain hose and the netting becomes a lint catcher that keeps the lint from going down our drains.
I guess I'll quit for now LOL.
(Bradley 7/30/98) & Doodlebug 
(Scotty 5/4/01) offically ttc #3 
, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives."
)
s?.gif "groovy")
That reminds me...
-unless we don't want BBQ. It saves on energy, as well as time.
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