Money Saving Tips.
Whether or not the economy is up or down, (and it still seems pretty down...) we all benefit from saving money, no matter whether we're saving for a nice night out or a new car or home. I've decided to compile my list of money saving tips that I've discovered or that people have given me over the years. Please share any you've found in the comments section.
1. Cook at home. A meal out for two people can be anywhere from thirty dollars on up. (Twenty if you're lucky.) A meal at home can be less than four dollars a person. It's amazing what you can save by simply cooking your favorite foods at home. Can't cook? Learn. Trust me, there are plenty of websites, classes, and people out there willing to help you get acquainted with your kitchen. If you happen to know me in real life, I would be happy to be one such person, just saying. :) If you choose to go the website route, please check my 'Sites I Follow' section for a plethora of sites to start with.
2. Related to number 1, consider doing a potluck meal with friends, where everyone brings a little something to share, but no one has to cook a full meal. I've yet to really try this, but I'd like to. Also, you can try a round robin, where everyone takes a night of a week, or one night a month, and you cook one meal for the group. This is more dangerous, as far as saving money goes, as you can end up spending as much to feed a crowd as you would on your groceries for the week. The nice side of it is that you only have to cook that one day, and you get a variety of meals you may never cook otherwise.
3. Also related to number 1, take a list to the grocery store, and stick to it. This helps you keep your purchases reasonable, rather than impulsive. There is a bit of margin, if, say, you forgot to put milk on the list, but try not to make too many exceptions.
4. If you like your lattes, chai, or cappuccinos, or just good old plain coffee or tea, make them at home. The mark up on these drinks at a coffee shop is horrendous. Granted, it's nice to treat yourself once in awhile, but try not to make it a habit.
5. Garden. I live in an apartment, as many of you know. I still have a rather large container garden where I get nearly all my herbs. (I refuse to grow cilantro, as I can't stand the smell of it. That is the one herb I will buy when a recipe calls for it, simply because I don't want it in my garden.) The mark up on herbs compared to what you can do with a bit of dirt and some seeds is remarkable. Sometimes you can even get the seeds for free. (I have yet to do this, but one of my sisters does regularly.) Contact your local community garden and see if anyone will allow you to harvest some seeds from their plants. Most are more than willing.
6. Open your windows, as weather permits. Turn off air conditioning, lights, whatever you can, and let the outdoors provide for your needs. Also, turn off the light as you leave the room.
7. De-clutter. Not only will you enjoy being in your home more, but you may find things you can sell, or even donate, (tax write off optional).
8. Rent movies, try Netflix, Hulu, etc. This has become a necessity for us, as taking a toddler to a movie is rather difficult. The lovely thing, though, is that you can have cookies, dinner, home-popped popcorn, or whatever is your fancy, without trying to 'sneak it in' to the theater.
9. Walk. This applies to working out, or simply trying to get somewhere. You save money on gas, and gym memberships to boot!
10. If you have kids, trade babysitting nights, or days if you can, with other couples. This will save on the cost of a babysitter, and you don't have to worry about trusting the 14 year old to know what to do in case of an emergency. :) We've done this to some extent, mostly trading a couple days every once in awhile with other stay-at-home moms. This also ensures that your child will have some other kids to play with.
Karen in home & garden 
Reader Comments (3)
Great tips! I'd be up for the potluck idea, sounds fun!
Here are a few of my suggestions:
-When we eat out, we always share a soda instead of paying for two (only really works with your significant other). Also, ordering just appetizers and a dessert keeps the price down.
-Make your own cleaning solutions with vinegar and water or baking soda and water.
-When you get change, put all of the dollar bills in a piggy bank/shoe box and keep the larger bills. Keep doing this and they really start to add up.
-Avoid using a credit card whenever possible. If you don't have the money in your account for an item, don't buy it. Save the card and financing for big items only like furniture, appliances, car repair, etc. DON'T USE A CREDIT CARD TO PAY MONTHLY BILLS!
-Buy Christmas decorations from thrift stores and garage sales. There are usually several aisles of holiday items, a lot of them new and trendy. So much is available because people go overboard buying decorations and when they run out of storage, decorations are the first thing to go.
Related to number 1: I am LAZY. I'd subsist on ramen and Lean Cuisine given half a chance. But sometimes there are ways to get a ton of meals out of cooking just once. I tried one recently and thought you might be interested.
You'll need:
a 3 pound bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large jars picante sauce in your preferred level of hotness (I like hot)
1 can cheddar or nacho cheese soup
1 diced bell pepper, your preferred color (I like red)
Half an onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 diced jalapeno (optional)
And really? Anything else you want to toss in that you think might be good.
Stir everything but the chicken together in your crock pot, add the chicken, and cook on Low for about 10 hours. When it's done, shred the chicken using 2 forks.
Easy peasy! The chicken freezes well, and you can use it for tacos, quesadillas, salads, etc. You can add beans and some of the chicken back into the crock pot and have chili. Or you can mix the soupy remains into rice for a quick side dish. Or if you're lazy like me, you can just add some cheese and call it salsa soup. :)
Save money is to get out of debt. And that why you start saving money at all. So I guess you could say that getting out of debt, you can save even more money. Think of how much interest you pay. This amount could be going to your savings and earn you interested. Instead of paying the creditor, the bank pays you. It important to get the debt paid, then work on savings.