Today, I am sharing with you another 5 tips for saving money. Some of them will be no-brainers for some of you, others will probably surprise you. *If you didn’t catch 5 Simple Ways to Save Money-Part 1 take a minute to check it out.
*As I am sharing my tips, I would recommend that you don’t try to put all of them into practice at once. This is not meant to be condemnation, but rather a list of ideas for those who are looking for a change.
- Use a shopping list when going grocery shopping (and stick to it)
I always carry a shopping list when I go to the grocery store.
For one, I would forget half the stuff that I need.
Two, it helps me stick to my grocery budget.
Along with this tip; stop being brand loyal, unless it actually makes a difference. Most brands are made in some of the same factories and a different label is slapped on.
- Buy in Bulk
This is a tip that can be both good and bad. If you have a family and there are more than two people eating in your house, I think this can be very helpful. However, it is important to know your prices and know if it will save you money. Also, don’t buy things in bulk that you hardly ever use and that may end up spoiling before you use them up.
- Stop eating out all the time.
Depending on your financial situation, this may or may not apply to you. However, remember you can buy a whole bunch of groceries for the price of eating out for even two people. I know, people, this sucks.
What about those days when you don’t feel like cooking? I recommend keeping some frozen pizzas, doing some freezer cooking in advance, or having toast. One of our go-to things if we are home late from somewhere or don’t feel like cooking is to make some eggs and have some toast with that. For years, we choose to go out to eat twice a month, once with our family and once for date night. These days, however, we are finding that we don’t even go out that often. This has kind of just happened by accident.
- If you work outside the home, bring your own Lunch
This is something that I have always done, as has my husband. (I don’t work outside the home anymore, but did early in our marriage) Mostly, this has just been a necessity because we are in a small town/area, but it has definitely saved us a ton of money over the years. I try to make enough supper so that Bernd can take leftovers to work most of the time, which really helps to save time.
- Cook from Scratch
I know this isn’t an easy one. I certainly don’t have it all down pat, but I have made some big strides over the years. Even though I mention frozen pizzas above, that is something I haven’t done for years. They are so small and one doesn’t feed my family of 5, so I don’t think financially it’s worth it. (Also, my homemade pizzas taste way better anyway) Instead of buying Kraft dinner or sidekicks, I always buy pasta and make my own sauces or add cheese, etc. This isn’t something to beat yourself up over, obviously, if you have been buying all convenience foods, it’s going to take you awhile to change. If you are interested in changing something, I suggest you pick one thing and try that for a month or two, before making any more changes.
I hope some of these tips are helpful to you. Stay tuned for Part 3.
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