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If you’re like me, sometimes it almost feels too hard to save money. I’m not great at couponing, my husband won’t give up cable television, and eating out on occasion is something we really enjoy as a family. However, I have found a few small things I can do to help ease the budget. These tips aren’t going to make you rich or take the place of a good budget, but they will save small amounts of money here and there, and those small mounts add up over time.
Order water when you do eat out at a restaurant.
When I started really paying attention to how much restaurants charge for a glass of sweet tea, I was appalled. Sometimes upwards of $3. For our family, just 3 people, that’s about $10 when you add tax and a tip.
When buying kid’s clothes, start at Goodwill, move on to consignment, then visit the clearance rack at Walmart.
I’m thankful that Ben really doesn’t care what he wears. And because he is so hard on clothes, I feel much better dressing him in cheaper clothes that can be tossed or handed down to someone else.
Don’t be a brand snob. I used to be one.
Then I discovered that those canned store brand tomatoes taste exactly like the name brand.
Cook recipes that can be used for more than one meal.
I can make a pot roast or whole chicken last for days. Yes, the initial investment is higher, but when you can make 3 or 4 meals, plus stock out of one roast or chicken, the savings is incredible.
Get rid of your land line telephone.
If everyone in the family has a cell phone, you really don’t need one. We purchased a cheap Tracphone for Ben to use in case of an emergency — I invested $39 upfront, but that got us the phone and 200 minutes of talk and text for 5 months. After that, $20 every 3 months will keep it going. That’s just a bit over $6 per month.
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