cutting back expenses

i know some have mentioned websites that have tips on how to cut back expenses, can someone please share those with me. TIA

Re: cutting back expenses

I have read some good articles on cutting back on msn.com in the money/finance section.

DH and I created an excel spreadsheet that tracks our finances, budget and spending so at the end of each month of the year we can see exactly what we spend, where it goes, and how much we can save. It's really easy to do, you just need your net income(s), and your monthly bills.

Re: cutting back expenses

I dont have any "professional" tips, just what works for me

- I never buy anything not on sale. If it is full price I dont need it. I almost always shop at clearance places, outlets, or my favorite store Target.
- Look for things used instead of new. For alot of things it doesnt matter. I love craigslist and freecycle. I have also tried to swap things.
- Look to fix things instead of replace.
- Always use coupons. Again, if I dont have a coupon I dont need it.
- I use to feel like treating myself by buying a new outfit. Now treating myself is buying a cup of coffee.
-Instead of getting gifts for holidays and birthdays, my husband and I asked our families to help us pay for our much needed vacation.
- My husband I carpool whenever we can. This sometimes means that one of us will have to wait for the other but it saves gas.
- Walk places that are close enough to instead of drive.
-We do not go out to eat as much as we used to anymore. My husband I both agreed that we rather eat at home and invite friends over and if they want to go out to eat we can meet them for coffee and dessert.
-We shop at BJs


If you want more of my tips, let me know.

Re: cutting back expenses

here are some: (I should add that I do NOT use all of these tips but many I do)

Switch to a Cablevision type phone..MUCH cheaper (I did this and it does save us money)

Shop around for car and home insurance- you would be suprised how much you can save just by calling a few places (Geico saved us $300 a year)

When something you use regularlly is on sale, buy a few. When Shop Rite has their can can sale I buy my canned tomatoes for 50 cents a can..I buy a case, not just 2 cans.

Give up buying dessert at the bakery, make your own. A cake mix and frosting is much cheaper.

Set a budget for family/holiday gifts. Spending more doesn't always = a better gift.

Bring your lunch. Eating out is very expensive.

Rent a movie instead of going to see one or go to see a movie before 6pm and bring your own candy/soda. When we have a "date night" we try to do that.

If you go out to dinner with friends have dessert back at the house. That saves $.

Keep your air conditioner a bit higher and you can save money that way.

ALWAYS send it rebates. Companies actually count on you NOT doing this.

Watch your prices- even at Costco/BJs. Something cost more.

My dad always said, and I tend to agree, even on sale do you REALLY need it? You are still spending money when you buy on sale. Also, my husband always laughs and says "Kohls will have it on sale next week Michele" and he is right. Buying on Clearance is great. I will go and get Molly things for NEXT summer at the end of this summer...all on clearance and super cheap.

Using Amazon.com for Molly's diapers was cheaper ..unless I had a $5 coupon and the diapers were on sale. In that case I would purchase from the store.

Sign up for coupons with ALL of the diapers, baby food, formula etc..places. I get tons of great coupons and free samples. Stuff I didn't use like formula I gave to the food bank.

Have a garage sale and get stuff you don't need out of your house and make money at the same time.

COUPONS for food shopping..but be careful again with "just because you have a coupon do you need it?"

Don't buy designer makeup...tons of studies have shown it is the same stuff in most cases.

Get a mani/pedi on the 'sale" day..I can get both for $18 M-W so that is when I go. I rarely go on a Friday because it will cost me more. Something so simple saves me money.

Revisit your magazine and newpaper subscriptions..do you really read them? If so pick one or two, not 10.

Use the library! No need to always own the book that you will read once.

Message edited 6/29/2006 1:23:11 PM.

Re: cutting back expenses

great tips !!! thanks ladies.

Re: cutting back expenses

WOW realy great tips
and we do do some of them
like renting movies, coupons and a few others

Re: cutting back expenses

Dollar STretcher.com

lots of tips on saving money, living frugally, living on one income, etc.

2nd hand, thrift for EVERYTHING. Do it and re-sell it on Ebay...I do this ALOT with name brand/designer stuff.

Borrow, borrow, borrow from people.

coupons coupons & sales....and stock up. You can "buy" coupons from Ebay for more expensive stuff.

go to your fave companies/manufacturers websites and look for coupons and free samples. Complain....I had a pamper diaper break on me one night and I e-mailed them and got a coupon for a free package of diapers.

go to the supermarket in the early AM, buy the meats that have been marked down because that day is the sell by date...freeze it. Meat is good for months in the freezer. Buy it up when it's on sale. I LOVE my slow cooker because we get tons of left overs from it and I freeze those for eating at a later date. I freeze half a loaf of bread because we don't use it that quickly. I buy store brand of alot of stuff for cooking but will use a name brand for using (store brand salad dressing for marinating, but name brand for salad-unless the store brand tastes ok). Malt-o-meal cereals in the bags are the same thing (most of them...we like the frosted shredded wheat & vanilla creme shredded wheat, Cocoa Roos, and Cinnamon Toasters). ALOT cheaper and there are coupons for them often. Walmarts are supermarkets down here so I use their brand of stuff to make tomato sauce. It's super cheap. Walmart also price matches, so if you have a circular of an item on sale cheaper elsewhere, they match it. Saves on running around to different stores.

I make alot of my own babyfood.

Energy costs: laundry and dishes later in the evening, I wash everything in cold water and air dry the dishes. I air dry a lot of clothing. I set the Central Air at 80 during the day. In the winter, we keep it at 68 at the most, we can often tolerate it lower than that. We are on budget billing...while it doesn't "save" us money, it balances out the monthly payments making them more predictable. We plan on buying those energy efficient light bulbs that are guaranteed for 5 years not to burn out.

Our furniture is hand me downs from my friend.

If one of us is off and the other is working, we stay home and don't go anywhere. Saves some gas.

www.terislist.com is another cool site, but you pay a membership. You choose one supermarket and basically it tells you what's on sale, what coupon to use and what date it was in the Sunday paper, how many to buy, and how much you save. It is based on the stockpiling principal (buy when it's on sale that way you have it when it isn't on sale). I do this on my own anyway and I find that sometimes the store brand is still cheaper.