50 Ways I Save Money

“How on earth do you do it?”

I get this question a lot. As a full-time working mom with six children, I suppose it begs the question. “How can you afford to feed, clothe, educate, and keep a roof over that many heads?”

I’ve put together “50 Ways I Save Money” to answer this question. These are some of my tried and true methods to cut corners and save - without eroding or impinging on a sense of freedom and joy within our family. As a word to the wise, being frugal is not the same as being a miser.  If your motivation to save is based on fear or greed, I suggest you do some soul-searching. When trusting God to take care of your needs doesn’t come easily to you, consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. God takes care of them, and you are even more valuable to Him than they are, so you’ll be taken care of too!

With that in mind, if you want to be better prepared to weather economic storms, (or simply want to stop living paycheck to paycheck) then I hope and pray that my family’s best practices will be a blessing to you and yours.

1. Every other day is a “buy nothing” day – it automatically cuts impulse purchases in half
2. Never buy anything from a vending machine. Ever.
3. Use Ziploc’s filled with snacks (bought in bulk) instead
4. Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs  (they last longer & cut the electric bill)
5. Better yet, use natural sunlight instead of turning on a light
6. Get organized – seriously organized. Being disorganized wastes hard-earned money on late fees, overdraft charges & over the limit fees. Set up a system to pay bills on time. In 2009, U.S. banks will collect $38 BILLION in overdraft penalties.
7. Shop Online and use the Free Shipping options. (Saves gas, $ and time)
8. Google “store name + coupon” before buying anything – for online shopping or before  leaving home to shop at a regular store
9. Turn off & unplug unused appliances
10. Make lunches at home
11. Pay bills online (saves time, stamps, ink & paper)
12. Drive the most fuel-efficient vehicle whenever possible
13. When a grocery item is a “loss leader” stock up and get a rain check for more
14. Use free printable grocery coupons at the grocery store – take advantage of double or triple coupon policies
15. Buy generic if it’s cheaper than name brand
16. Open a high interest savings account at an online virtual bank
17. Set up an automatic withdrawal that goes straight to the savings account
18. Use the local library for books and DVD’s
19. Use a water filter instead of bottled water
20. No cable or satellite
21. Use Paypal Debit (but sign for purchases) to get 1% cash back
22. Never order soft drinks at restaurants. Order water with lemon & use the sugar packets or Splenda at the table to make lemonade. (It’s free & healthier) 
23. Periodically evaluate the cell phone plan and switch to the most cost-effective one
24. Started using Charlie’s Soap Powder for laundry – 13 cents per load for a hypoallergenic, non-toxic, completely biodegradable detergent/fabric softener
25. Lowered our phone/internet bill $30/month by bundling them with the same company
26. Buy items like toilet paper, napkins and tissues in bulk online
27. Make my own (organic) bread with a bread machine. Total cost is $.50 per loaf. 
28. Turn off unnecessary lights. (Including the kitchen light at night)
29. Get motion sensor “dawn to dusk” outdoor lights (cuts the electric bill & increases home security)
30. Avoid using air fresheners or night lights that must remain plugged in (burns electricity & they’re expensive)
31. We don’t turn the heat on at the first hint of cool weather – we put on sweatshirts
32. We don’t turn on the air conditioner as soon as it starts getting warm either; we use the ceiling fans first
33. Get a programmable thermostat that automatically turns down the heat or air conditioner at night & during the workday when no one is at home.  
34. When we’re out of town, we turn the air conditioning units completely off.  
35. If at all possible, I go grocery shopping ALONE. Studies show that moms spend more money at the store with children (or husbands) in tow.
36. We shred our own cheese, chop our own lettuce and freeze our own dinners. Prepackaged convenience foods are a “no-no” unless the sale price is lower.
37. Drive gently. Watch the RPM’s and try and keep them low.  Stepping on the gas to unnecessarily accelerate makes the engine rev high – and wastes up to ten times the gas than when the car is idling.
38. When pumping gas, before I swipe my card, I squeeze the nozzle into my vehicle. About a cup of gas usually comes out, left in the handle from the last person fueling. Then I fuel as normal. When I’m done, I get my receipt, and then squeeze the nozzle again, and get another free cup of gas.
39. We stock up on whole organic chicken when it’s on sale. I oven-bake them then cut them into portions suitable for dinner and sandwiches for lunches.
40. Then I save the bones to make chicken noodle soup or chicken & rice.
41. Use the crock pot to make soups out of leftovers from the fridge
42. Wash our clothes in cold water (saves the oil or gas cost to heat the hot water)
43. Hang dry as much as possible
44. Run the dryer during off-peak electric hours. (Rates per kwh are lower on weekends and from 10pm through 6am M-F in many areas.)
45. We gratefully accept hand-me-down clothes from friends & family
46. Annually donate the clothes we don’t need, get a receipt and take the tax write off
47. We buy low-mileage used vehicles instead of new ones. We haven’t had car payments in over fifteen years
48. Joined Samaritan Ministries as a low-cost alternative to regular health insurance
49. Print out a copy of the $4 Prescription list from Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc. and ask our Dr.’s to prescribe those medications when possible. 
50. Get as much fresh produce as you can from a home garden or local farms. It’s cheaper, (sometimes even free) and it’s fresher.

And that’s my list. Tell us how you save money by leaving a comment on my blog: http://www.sabrinaomalone.com. We will randomly choose one of the comments to receive a $50 Visa Gift card!*
*Void where prohibited.

        

“Mommy…are we poor?”

One of my kids asked me that recently. So I blurted out a flip: “Yup. We sure are!” Fortunately, Big Dan was within earshot, and sensed there was more to this question than a casual inquiry. After a brief chuckle, he explained that I was kidding. He continued “We have a home, more than enough food to eat, and we have each other.” Then he concluded with, “No, sweetheart, we’re not poor. We’re rich.” (Sure wish I had said that…) The fact that we even had this conversation proves that anxiety about the economy has gotten to the point where six-year-olds are starting to be concerned.

This led me to wonder how the recession is affecting our working moms. I’d really like to hear from you. In fact, we’ll randomly select one of the comments about this subject to receive a $50 Visa gift card!*

I’m sure a lot of you are scared - so am I. It’s distressing when even the experts are reluctant to venture a guess as to how this will end. However, there is someone who knows what’s coming. Better still, you have rock-solid assurance that you’ll be taken care of:

ASSURANCE

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” –Jesus of Nazareth recorded in the book of Matthew Chapter 6 verses 26-34.

PEACE

So rest assured, God is not going to abandon you.
Take heart.
Don't fear.
By God’s grace, you will get through this.

Worrying, stressing and panicking won’t improve your current situation. Obsessing over what they say on the nightly news will only erode your peace and joy. Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." –Recorded in the book of John Chapter 16 verse 33.

Why don’t you just take him at his word this time?
If you’re concerned about your future, then this is the time to pray -and pray hard.
Seek God.
Worship well.
Be grateful for what you already have.
Count your blessings.
Get your spending under control.
Do not incur new debt.
Don't borrow.
Write out a plan or budget to pay your bills.

A “How to Get out of Debt Class” was recently offered at our church. I'm wondering if I ought to share the fundamentals of it for the January Newsletter. It may be good timing in light of the temptation to overspend during the holidays. All five of my children have ideas about things they want this Christmas, and all totaled, they could easily put us back several thousand dollars.

THE QUANDARY

While I don’t want to disappoint them by failing to deliver gifts they’re hoping for and dreaming of, I also don’t want to jeopardize our financial stability. (Especially not for toys and trinkets that they’ll be bored with by New Years.) So is it possible (or even realistic) to somehow give good gifts while preparing to survive a recession? Yes, it is. But the key is to stretch every dollar.

According to Pastor Richard Pfeil, in an economic downturn one of the best things you can do is "skinny up." Reduce spending. Focus on the essentials. Work together with your family on this. Don’t buy what you don’t need right now. Don’t borrow. And don't pay someone else by outsourcing things you could do yourself. Consider trading skills and bartering if you can.

While I realize that this is not a macroeconomic solution for the world’s economy…it sure sounds like a family-specific solution to make it through the hard times of a recession or impending depression.

EXAMPLES
So we’ll be giving homemade (organic) Christmas cookies this year. These will be for friends, relatives and business associates. I do make an effort to package them beautifully (and if I must say so myself) they’re delicious. Moreover, it’s something we can afford. However it will cost me time, some effort and planning. But in just one day, I can shop for the ingredients, bake them, package them, and mail them out. I’ll have gifts for everybody but my immediate family for less than fifty dollars.

We will also be planting our first vegetable garden this spring. (Pray for us, I’m no farmer.)

So would you let me know how you are doing? Would you let me know if you’ve already made adjustments (or plan to) so you can survive the recession or impending depression? Remember, we will randomly select one of the comments to receive a $50 Visa gift card.* Your comments and experiences will help WorkingMom.com to monitor the situation accurately, to respond appropriately and to develop new tools to better meet your needs.

Working Moms in Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand have told me that they’d like printable online grocery coupons too. So for 2009, we are actively looking to establish partnerships with the leading coupon distributors in your countries. Please let us know the names of the companies that put the traditional, paper coupons in your area’s leading newspapers. Then we can take it from there.

And just because I’ve always rather enjoyed going against the grain, WorkingMom is going to do something totally different from most of the other companies sending you emails this time of year. As you may have gathered, I’m basically telling you NOT to spend if you don’t have to. Plus I’m going to make it easier for you to save.

RESOURCES
If you are already feeling the pinch from the recession, you might want to consider Angel Food Ministries if you live in the US. They provide name brand, restaurant quality food at approximately half the price it costs in the grocery store. This is a unique outreach that is already available in 35 states. There are no fees to join, no income restrictions, no applications or anything. We ordered two boxes of food last month. We saved a bundle, and this month we’re ordering again. (For those of you who don’t know, I’m expecting our sixth child in May…this’ll make us a family of 8 - please pray for us!) So as you can imagine I’m pretty motivated to be frugal. If you’re just as eager to save where you can, take a look at the Angel Food Ministries website for more details.

Another hot tip to surviving the recession is to start using online printable grocery coupons every time you go to the grocery store. You can really save a lot when there’s an in-store sale + your shopper’s card discount + double coupons. And get in the habit of shopping with a grocery list, it’ll help you stay focused amidst the temptations and distractions in the store. A list will remind you what you really came for.

Lastly, if you are having serious trouble paying your bills and keeping things afloat, we recommend you contact Crown Financial Ministries and make use of the resources and counseling available on their website. And don’t be too proud to talk with the pastor at your local church. Aside from the spiritual and emotional help, there may also be tangible help available to those who need it.

Blessings,

Sabrina O’Malone

*Void where prohibited.

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