Update: Saving $$

You may remember that back in the beginning of the year I had a little mini series on saving money.  Hopefully it helped you in some way.  In one of the posts I mentioned that we were switching all our bulbs to the energy efficient kind.  We also started unplugging everything--including our washer and dryer, etc.  I mentioned that I'd follow up with you on the difference that it made in our bills.  So here you go...

I'll be honest.  We were doing pretty good, but became a little soft in some of the areas.  Overall, we are still unplugging and trying to save energy though.

Our bill in January was $97.60.  This was before any changes.  We changed all our bulbs at the end of January/beginning of February.  We also started unplugging things around that same time.  Our February bill dropped down to $83.47.  Not bad, huh?  Especially since last year the February bill was $93.79. 

Our bill has pretty much remained in the low 80's where last year's bills were in the 90's.  We are essentially saving $10 a month.  Last year's May bill was $96.20, this year's May bill was $79.67.  I'll take it!  A savings is a savings in my book, and I'll take whatever I can get these days! :)

Starbucks Happy Hour

Say what?  Starbucks is having a happy hour!?!?  SIGN ME UP!  I looooove me some Starbucks, so I was SO happy when I found out that there is a chance to get a half priced drink.  It starts today and goes through May 17th.  Every day between 3 and 5 you can get a Frappuccino blended drink for half off!  That's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.  You can check out more information about it here.   

Guess who gets off work at 3 today?!?! :)

Stretching your dollar... (part 10)

USE A VISUAL

Have you enjoyed my little mini-series?  I hope so!  (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can go back and read the posts every Monday for the last nine weeks!) This is the last installment for now.  I just have one more tip for you.  

Make sure that you and your spouse (if you have one) are always talking about it, checking in, paying attention, keeping each other accountable, and are always on the same page.  You can keep each other motivated!

Second, use a visual.  I am the one that pays the bills, but I am always telling Michael where things stand.  On top of that, we have made a visual for us to see where we are at.  We started the new year with this simple dry erase board so that we could see our progress.  By seeing our progress every day, it is either going to keep us motivated (if we are doing what we are suppose to) or keep us accountable (if we are not doing what we are suppose to, and falling behind).  We get excited looking at those numbers drop every month.  You don't have to use a dry erase board, but do what works for your family.  Put it somewhere where you can see it all the time.  Ours sits by our kitchen sink.  It is a daily reminder of what the goal is.

Side Notes:

1. See the big white space under "Debts"???  We started the year with 4 and are now down to 2!!

2. It is actually less than this because of payments already made, but I don't update it until we get the statement (because of what's actually paid verses what goes to interest/principal).

3. Both of those debts are my college--you can't consolidate federal with private. 

I plan on checking in every couple of months and sharing with you guys where we are at.  Money was always a secret in my family for some reason, and I find that doing that is nothing but damaging.  I'm not ashamed of where we are at or where we've come from so far.  Plus, you can help keep us accountable as well.  We started our marriage (almost 3 years ago) with $65,000 of debt.  Some of the debt was for our wedding, but we also paid for part of our wedding in advance.  If you put that all together, we will have paid close to $70,000 in three and a half years (if we are debt free by the end of the year).  I'm pretty stinking proud of that. 

NOTE: All donations accepted! :)  (ha ha--just kidding!)

Do you have any money saving tips I missed?

 

Stretching your dollar... (part 9)

Entertainment

*Use your library.  I know this seems obvious, but it really was (and sometimes is) hard for me.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my library.  I go at least every two weeks and I always have a book to listen on CD or a book to read during nap time.  But sometimes.... sometimes when I'm at the store, I just want to buy that book.  Or when I'm looking at Amazon (which I just shouldn't do!), I just want to order that book.  I need to just use my library.  I especially need to use it when it comes to cookbooks.  I have too many already.  I don't need to be buying any more.  I should just check them out from the library--and so should you! :)

*You can also get movies from your library.  You'd be surprised at what you can find at some of the bigger libraries.  The movies aren't all five years old.  You can also check out C.D's if you are really into music.

*Instead of buying magazines for $4 or $5 in the grocery check out lane, go on a "date" to Barnes and Noble and catch up on all your favorite reads.

*Get Netflix.  Are you confused?  Yes, this is spending a little money, but you get so much.  For $10 a month you can get unlimited movies mailed to your house.  Not only that, but if you have a gaming system like an x-box, you can stream the movies immediately right through that.  That's how we watched Food, Inc. (Have you watched it yet?  YOU SHOULD!)  It's much cheaper than going to the movies and paying $20 a pop--and that's without food!

*Use the Redbox for movies.  It's $1!!  How can you beat that?  Even if you are lazy and don't get it back within the one day time frame, it's still only $2.  Hello!?  That's some cheap entertainment if you ask me!

Stretching your dollar... (part 8)

Around The House

*Unplug your electronics.  Do you know that you are using electricity even if the thing that is plugged in is not "on"?  Get rid of all those glade plug-ins or Bath and Body Works wallflowers.  They are costing you $$$.  Use a candle instead. We've started unplugging everything.  I use to leave my curling iron or my blow dryer plugged in--not any more.  My toaster and coffee pot don't need to be plugged in when I'm not using it.  Neither does my Kitchenaid mixer.  We don't unplug things like our TV, or items that would not save our "information" when unplugged, but almost everything else is unplugged.  I heard that unplugging your washer and dryer when you aren't use them is a significant savings.  We unplugged ours (along with a few other items that we hadn't done previously) at the end of January.  I'll let you know soon how this (and energy efficient light bulbs) has affected our electric bill.

*Use less hot water.  Also, you may be able to turn your water heater down.  When you turn it on, is it scalding?  It doesn't need to be.  Turn your water heater down to the temp that you would like and actually use.  This could save you money.  Also, only wash a load of dishes or laundry when the load is full.  Try to use cold or warm water on things when possible.

*Change your air filter.  If it's clogged up your furnace or air conditioner has to work harder.  Each filter should give you an estimated time it should last.  Our filters are suppose to last 3 months, but Michael checks them once a month just to make sure they are still clean and working.  He will hold the filter up to the light to be able to see clearly how clean or dirty it is.

*Change out your lightbulbs to the energy saving ones.  Sure, it will cost you up front, but you'll save in the long run.

Stretching your dollar... (part 7)

Taking care of your CAR

I don't think people think about taking care of their cars as a way to save money day to day, but it will all add up.  Thankfully I have a husband that does all this for me.  Some of these are obvious, but some may be new information for you!

*Change your oil regularly--you knew that, right?!

*Rotate your tires.  We get our tires at Tire Discounters and they do this for free.

*Fill your tires with nitrogen.  This is Michael's number one tip.  It lasts longer.

*Make sure your tire pressure is what it should be.  This will effect your gas mileage and if it's too low or too high, they won't wear evenly.

*If you are carrying some junk in your trunk--empty it out.  The lighter your car is, the better fuel efficiency you will get.

*Try to stay at a constant speed when driving.  This will help with your fuel efficiency too.  

Stretching your dollar... (part 6)

Making your store, bank and credit card work for YOU

This isn't a new concept.  However, I don't think people take advantage as best they can of all that is out there.  We try to take advantage of all of our opportunities.  Obviously, this will depend on where in the country you live, but it seems to me that no matter what your grocery store is--everyone seems to have some sort of deal or loyalty card or something these days.  Here's what we do.

Chase- This is where we bank.  We have opened up accounts at other banks for a while to utilize their $75 or $100 incentives, but our main banking is and always has been at Chase.  We signed up for their Chase Leisure rewards.  We pay $25 each ($50 a year) for our cards to be part of this system.  Normally, for every dollar you spend you get 2 points.  If you pay the $25 you get 4 points for every dollar.  We have done this for the past two years and it always pays for itself in the first month.  Those points can be cashed in for many things, but we tend to use them for gift cards.  We get gift cards for restaurants, Barnes and Noble, movie theater passes, and retail stores like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond.  You just have to swipe your card and use it as a credit card.  It also counts for bills that are paid with the card. (Not online banking, but paying on a direct site.)  We have gotten HUNDREDS of dollars in gift cards for simply using our cards as we would have anyway.  If you don't have a Chase near you, you may want to shop around for your banking.  My mother-in-law banks somewhere else and she said her rewards for the whole year was just enough to get a taco at taco bell.  I'd say your bank is not working for you then! :)

Giant Eagle- For those of you not familiar with this store, it is one of our local grocery stores.  It's one of those fancy stores that has great produce and great meats, but almost everything costs a considerable amount more.  We generally shop at Meijer.  It is cheaper and they double your coupons.  But we're no fool.  We take advantage of all of the perks Giant Eagle has to offer.  For every $50 you spend in the store, you get 20 cents off your  gas.  For every 10 gallons you put in your car in gas, you get 1% off your food purchase.  We don't do our  grocery shopping here, but it is the closest store to our house.  We use it for last minute pick ups, medications, and we buy gift cards there.  For example, if we know we are going to eat at Bob Evans, we get a $25 gift card.  We aren't out any extra money and it adds to our fuel perks.  On top of that, we always get our gas at Giant Eagle.  In fact, Michael fills up his work truck there if one is close.  My bosses generally fill up the Volvo, but if they don't, I make sure to fill up at Giant Eagle as well so I can swipe my loyalty card and earn the points.  This gets us food perks.  Once you are at 20% you have to use it.  Whenever we get to 20%, I do my weeks grocery shopping there.  I try to stock up on meat on that trip.  We have saved a ridiculous amount in gas already.  The food perks just started recently, but we've saved a considerable amount on food as well.

Discover-  This is the only credit card we have.  We got a Discover card for the gas rewards.  We have the card that gives you 5% back on your gas purchases and 1% back on your other purchases.  We then use those rewards to get gift cards.  Sound familiar?  Oh, and when we are filling up at Giant Eagle and getting those food perks... we are also earning Discover card points.  We have so many gift cards it's out of control.

We hardly eat out anymore unless we have a gift card.  These gift cards come from either our Chase Leisure rewards, Discover card rewards, or my boss.  We don't really go to the movies without gift cards either.  Make your stores, cards, and bank work for you.  You'll be happy you did!

Stretching your dollar... (part 5)

Couponing

Ok, I'm sure you've heard about the couponing craze.  In fact, I've posted about it on here before.  I would love to be that person that goes to the store, buys $147 worth of groceries, and only pays 26 cents.  There are a few reasons why that won't be happening any time soon.  First of all, I don't have the time.  I work a 50 hour week and spend an hour in the car each day.  Second, I don't have the space to do the stock piling necessary.  Plus, I don't think I have the energy or the motivation to go to three or four stores a week.  That doesn't mean I can't use coupons.  I can, and I do.  Here are some of the tips I've learned.

*Print coupons off line.  I never knew there was such a thing.  There are lots of good places to do this, but I like to use coupons.com 

*Target has coupons you can print.  Again, I had no clue!  They have coupons on their website for all sorts of things.

*Sign up for websites!  They will send you offers.  If you don't want to deal with all those emails, set up another account for just a thing.  I've signed up at a stores, restaurants, and for specific items that we use.

*Some places or items offer specials if you become a "fan" on facebook.

*Request coupons.  I've yet to do this, but I've heard if you write a company and tell them you are a faithful user, they should send you some coupons.

*Follow blogs that give deal updates.  There are a TON out there.  I like to follow hip2save.

*Subscribe to All You magazine.  I waited until Amazon was offering an amazing deal.  It's a magazine chalked full of coupons.  I've only received one issue so far, but I think it will be worth it. 

Stretching your dollar... (part 4)

Meal Planning

I am a planner.  I have always been a planner--about everything.  I love lists.  I usually have lists for my lists... and sometimes even a list for that list.  I love being organized.  One thing I have always done is meal plan.  I'm not quite sure how you grocery shop or make your grocery list without a meal plan.  My mind just doesn't work like that.  I always sit down and write out what we will eat every night for the seven day period.  I also make a general plan of options for breakfasts and lunches.  We are flexible on this.  If we get asked over to a friend's house, or if we decide we want to go out to eat, we can sway from the plan.  However, if we are home every night, there is a plan.  This also helps me with staying on track with my healthy eating as well.

Here are some tips that I use for my meal planning.  I use these tips, so that they in turn help my grocery bill.

*I try to have at least one meatless meal a week.  I know, I know.  Guys don't generally like this.  However, it really does save on your budget.  Good meat is expensive--even when you are getting it on sale.  If you can eat one meal a week without it, you can really start to save.  If you are doing this, I recommend you try to replace the meat with some other protein.  Sometimes this works for me, and sometimes it doesn't.  I tend to do the meatless meals on Sunday nights, just because Sundays are more of a laid back day.  Again, this is flexible.  Here are some ideas for you--veggie and cheese omlet, pancakes, grilled cheese and tomato soup, anything made with black beans (tons of options there), anything made with quinoa, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! :)

*Eat your leftovers.  I know.  This isn't popular either.  Trust me.  I'm with you on this.  I'm not a leftover fan either.  We eat them, but we have a rule.  We only eat the leftovers of a meal one time.  I then freeze all the rest.  For example, if I make a meal that has 8 servings, we will eat 2 servings the first night.  Then we eat 2 more servings another night that week.  That still leaves 4 servings though.  I take those four servings and freeze them into two separate meals.  We then have 2 meals waiting in the freezer for one of those nights where I might get home late and don't feel like cooking.  Don't let your food go to waste!!!

*Use your crock pot!  I try to use my crock pot at least one time a week.  I'm still collecting crock pot recipes that we like (and are good for me).  Crock pot meals tend to use less and get more.  Especially when it comes to your meats.  You can use a tougher (and cheaper) meat, and it will be tender when it's time to eat.  As opposed to paying a lot for a nicer cut of meat.  There are all sorts of things that can be made in the crock pot--soups, roasts, fillings for your tortillas, breakfasts, and many chicken meals.  Dust yours off today!

*Use tried and true recipes.  I'll admit.  This is a little hard for me.  I like to try new recipes all the time.  Unfortunately that can get costly.  When you are making a new recipe, you sometimes have to buy ingredients or spices that you don't have on hand.  These add up quickly.  If you are using a tried and true recipe, you know you will use the left over seasonings or ingredients again.  For example, one time I bought an entire jar of orange marmalade for a recipe someone gave me.  Guess what?  I didn't like the recipe and then I had a whole jar of orange marmalade that sat taking up room in my fridge until I eventually threw it out. Those kind of mistakes add up when it comes to your grocery bill.

*Limit your ingredients.  The first thing I look at in a recipe is the ingredients list.  I don't care what's in it, what the prep work is, or how long it takes... if it has a ton of different ingredients, I skip right over it.  I don't demand it has 5 or less ingredients or something like that, but I know what I'm going to have on hand or what I've never heard of before. 

Good luck!

Stretching your dollar... (part 3)

Grocery Bill

Your grocery bill is one of the biggest ways to save money.  Most bills are set in stone (mortgage, cable, etc.) or are pretty close to the same every time (gas bill, electric bill, phone, etc.).  If you are using the $100 (each) cash budget--or whatever works for your family-- the only thing that should be variable is the gas you put in your car and your groceries.  For a while, we were spending a ridiculous amount of money on food.  We still spend a decent amount, but we also try to eat healthy.  Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables aren't cheap.  Our budget is $100 a week, but we tend to spend around $75 to $85.  This budget includes everything you would get at the grocery store--paper towels, toilet paper, kleenex, cleaning supplies, baggies, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, make up, laundry detergent, and more!

One thing I've found that helps us on our budget, is to shop once a week and ONLY buy what we need for that week.  I know all those coupon freaks tell you to stock pile.  I'm sure that works.  However, we don't have room to stock pile.  I use to buy things I know we'd use or buy 3 and 4 of something, when one box would last us all week.  By only buying what we need for that week, it has really cut down on all the extra money and calories!

Also, make a list.  I think this is obvious, but some people don't do it.  I make a meal plan, then I make a list off of that.  I generally only buy what is on my list.  Sometimes if I see something that is on sale for a really good price, and I know it's something we use, I will get it.  Rarely do I just start adding stuff to my cart like I use to.

Another thing I've learned is that bigger is not always better.  Sometimes the smaller box gives you the best price per unit.  You have to look.

I use coupons, but sometimes it's cheaper to get the generic brand than to get the name brand--even with the coupon doubled.  I think I am a very brand loyal kind of girl, but for money saving purposes I try not to be.  There are some things I refuse to get generic though.

As much as I love to buy the already chopped up veggies, I try to not do this.  Sure, it takes me a little longer on Sunday to chop up all the veggies, but the savings is worth it.

I try to only buy meat when it's on sale.  A few weeks ago I got a deal where it was buy a roast get the second for free.  They were $13 roasts, so I essentially saved $13.  Plus, that meat made multiple meals!

Stay tuned....

Next week's edition is on meal planning.  This will be directly related to your grocery bill as well!

Stretching your dollar... (part 2)

 Car Insurance

**If you are a stay at home mom, or someone who puts less than 7500 miles on your car a year, you should be able to call your agent and get a reduced rate on your car insurance policy.

**If you have a car that's older than 10 years, you probably don't need to have complete coverage on your car.  If, by chance, you do get in an accident your car is not going to be worth a ton of money.  Your check from your insurance company isn't going to be very big.  We have a car that is over 10 years old and is only worth about $2500 to $3000.  Instead of having it fully covered, we have reduced our insurance and are saving monthly.  If we wreck the car, we are going to get a new car anyway.  That $2500 isn't going to be that great of a help.  I'd rather have my monthly expenses lower.

**Call around and check to make sure you are STILL getting the best rate.  You may have your current company for a variety of different reasons--your parents had it, so now you do.... it was the only one that would cover you at the time... it was the cheapest when you got insurance, 5 or 10 years ago.  Make sure you are always getting the best deal.

Stretching your dollar... (part 1)

Ok, so who can't use some more money?  If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that we are trying to get out of debt.  We are aggressively and diligently working at being debt free by the end of the year.  In order for us to do this, every dollar needs to be accounted for.  Obviously the more money we can save on things, the more money we have to apply to those pesky student loans.

I am going to feature a mini series on here of creative ways to save a dollar here or there.  Some of these may be obvious, but some may be new to you.

The first thing you have to do is come up with a budget.  Duh! right?  Yeah.  I know.  Everyone knows to have a budget.  The key is to follow it!  Here's what we are doing to be able stick to our budget.

We have decided to not be so over the top on things.  We've tried this before, and it just makes you want to give up.  Sort of like when you go on a diet.  If you do a diet where you aren't allowed any wiggle room, you tend to give in to your temptations quicker.  We have all of our regular bills listed.  On top of our musts (utilities, mortgage, gas, food), we've decided to keep our cable TV and our phone extras.  We have also kept our $10 netflix subscription.  Along with that, we pay $12.50 a month for identity theft protection.  If we cut down or eliminated all of these, we could probably have a couple hundred more a month, but we'd probably go crazy! :)

We have our entire month budgeted out.  Every extra dollar goes to paying off our debt faster.  At the beginning of the month we each get $100 cash.  That cash is our only spending money.  Our bank account is budgeted down to almost the last dollar.  Even if we are tempted to use the debit card, we can't!

This $200 *might* actually be more than we were spending on extras before the tight ship budget began.  However, it makes me save money because I hoard my cash.  When I know that's all I have, I'm less tempted to spend $50 on a coat that I don't really need.  But it also gives me the freedom to spend my money on art and craft supplies and not feel guilty.  My $100 a month is for whatever I want to spend it on.  This includes eating out, coffee with friends, clothes, shoes, decorations for the house, books, and art and craft supplies.  By having the money in cash, it really makes you evaluate if the item is a need or a want.  Wants aren't bad... you just have to know that the cash will run out at some point.  Try putting yourself on a cash budget and see how much more money is left in your account at the end of the month.  I bet you'll be surprised!

Coming soon...

*Tips on car insurance savings

*Tips on grocery savings

*Meal planning tips

*Making your store and cards work for you

*and MORE! :)