Thursday, August 07, 2008

How to save money

1. Turn off your air conditioner. Or, don't turn it as low. Being hot natured, I've always enjoyed keeping it around 72. Now I'm keeping it at 80.

2. Cook with your microwave instead of your oven. Okay, this is so gross to me. But steamed veggies cooked in the microwave still taste great.

3. Eat beans and rice. You can't really cook these in the microwave...reheat, maybe, but not cook.

4. Sell one of the kids (hey, you might even make some money this way!). My hubby has been trying to sell ours since the first one was born.

5. Dress everyone from Goodwill. No kidding, there are some great clothes there! But check out the sales at Belk first. Sometimes they are cheaper.

6. Cancel all birthday celebrations. We have cake and ice cream at home. One or two presents. No big, expensive, blow-up bouncy-things; no overpriced pizza and giant mice; no party favors...just family and love.

7. Start home haircuts. You get better with practice, and it all grows out!

8. Unplug appliances and electronics....okay, after the computer reboots, add..."while not in use."

9. Use vinegar to clean everything. Once you get used to the smell, you'll find it is quite effective.

10. Hang clothes to dry. Well, unless there's some silly rule against it in your neighborhood covenants. :(

11. Drink only water. Easier said than done.

12. Play boardgames for entertainment...or read a book...or throw a ball outside.

13. Get rid of the pets. The feeding, vacuuming, vet bills...it adds up! It's also not very likely to happen in this house any time soon. Oh well.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!! ;)

11 comments:

Ladykli said...

Hi I'm new this week. I like some of your money saving ideas.

Anonymous said...

one way to save some cash is to BBQ. It doesn't heat your house in the summer, it's usually pretty quick, and it always tastes good...except for those pieces of chicken or hotdog that roll of the grate and land at the bottom of the grill. My husband eats those- so grose!

You have a good list. I like the drink water one. I only drink water, alcohol-not often, and the occasional diet soda. We don't buy juice and no one drinks milk except the baby. It's a big money saver.

Clara said...

Some good and some funny ideas. Clever post. I already follow #11. And, for me, it's as easy to do as to say. I've never really cared for sweet drinks.

Come on by my place and learn a little about Michigan.

The Rock Chick said...

I like the #4 idea....LOL....I have 4 teenagers. I doubt anyone would want them at that age :)

We try to save money but BBQing and buying store brands at the grocery store. I buy generic everything! I also hang clothes outside when I can, too! They smell sooooo good that way!

I tried using vinegar to clean once. The smell was just too overwhelming. I'll splurge on the cleaning products!

We play board games all the time! Even thought I never seem to win, they are fun!

Happy TT
Jessica The Rock Chick

Anonymous said...

Great tips! How about selling the neighbor's kids? Still make money that way...

Tracey@Aloha Monkeys said...

Amen sister! Thanks for visiting my blog.

Anonymous said...

LOVED your TT. When my children were little we made a game out of clipping coupons and then in the store the kids would hunt for the best priced items. This not only helped our budget it also helped my two children with reading and math. They were both doing this before they ever started kindergarten.

Geriatric Nursing said...

We like to barbecue, so do a lot of cooking outdoors. The barbecue has a side burner we use for cooking whatever side dish we want. Saves on heating up the house. Good TT

Shelley said...

Hi Ladykli...I saw your first T13. Love that! I have to agree that it's not always as easy as it seems!

After hours, rock chick, and geriatric...most of us in the South call it a cookout. BBQ is the smoked meat with a sauce. 1st time I got invited to a BBQ and found out it was just hot dogs, I can't tell you how disappointed I was! :)

Clara, I always drank only water until my 4th pregnancy. Coke was the only thing I didn't vomit back up! Haven't been able to kick the habit since then. I left a comment about Michigan (wanna come with?).

Chris, the neighbors just have a Dachshund.

Truly, my pleasure. I'm sure I'll be back!

Army mom, I used to clip coupons before I started shopping the outer perimeter of the store. I noticed there are not many coupons for a mostly whole foods lifestyle, are there?

Anonymous said...

Hi, it has been fun chatting with you. I am presently trying to mess with my palm phone and computer today. Hopefully, I will figure out how to, once again, download the recipe and shopping software onto my phone (my dog threw up on my cellphone/palm-aah). Anyway, I like your list. We, too, shop at Goodwill. It is like a treasure find. I found an amazing vintage perfect condition soft velvet chair for my nine year old for his room. We might have given him gold. He is beaming. Also, millet is a cheap breakfast cereal (healthy enough to live off of because it is so loaded with vitamins). Just grind it and it cooks up with water like instant grits. Add some butter and sea salt. I like the vinegar idea. I spend a fortune on cleaning products. I would love to learn more about this. Any future posts on how to do this?

Your friend,
momofsix (homeschool blogger)

Shelley said...

Hi momofsix, I have to say that I haven't ever tried millet. I am, in general, a true fan of grains. Oats, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, but I haven't tried millet. I'll have to give it a whirl. And, I guess I'll have to add vinegar cleaning to my list of future blog posts...and soon!