We don't have a lot of extras that we can cut loose but we can:
Cancel our subscription to the local paper and try to find a cheap or free resource for my coupons
saving us about $9 a month.
Take our aluminum cans to the recycling center instead of throwing them in the recycling bin.
We'd make about $3-$5 a month. Is it even worth the gas money?
Taking shorter showers. I've started getting wet and turning the water off to soap up.
Hang dry our clothes. I'm hesitant to do this because it is extra work, it's against our home owner's association rules (grr) and I don't like how line dried clothes feel. But, we could do this and save a few dollars a month.
Put Little Guy back in cloth diapers. This will happen sooner than later as we're running out of disposables and I'm not buying anymore. Great for potty training anyway.
Keep the a/c off and postpone turning on the heat. I've been opening the windows for a cool breeze. And I put flannel sheets and thicker blankets on our beds for those chilly nights.
Refuse to buy things that I don't really need. I really like the More Time Moms Family Organizer calendar. I buy one every year. This year I'm going to fix a pocket onto a free calendar and use that. I won't like it as much but it will be free.
Returning my Library materials on time. I haven't incurred any overdue fees this month. For me that's a big thing. And every bit counts.
Shopping the sales at the grocery store. I normally just go to Save-A-Lot or Aldi without looking through the fliers for other grocery stores. If I cherry pick and use coupons I can save us a lot more and pick up some extras for the food pantry donation.
Finding a better way to organize my coupons. After my little cardboard accordion coupon wallet from the dollar store fell from my cart and spilled onto the store floor I knew it was time to find another method. The challenge will be to not spend any money on it.
Harvesting the last little garden goody before it frosts. We have a ton of tiny green tomatoes on our vines. If I forget them then we waste money. What a relief it was to walk by the starchy tasteless grocery store tomatoes and know that we had some at home.
Using less of what we already have in the pantry and cupboards- less dishwashing liquid, less shampoo, less ketchup, less body wash, less sugar etc.
Buying less or just not buying what we don't absolutely have to have. Are paper towels really necessary when you can use cloth napkins?
Does anyone else have any ideas? What are you doing to economize? What have I overlooked?
1 comment:
Our local paper offers all the coupons mailed free to your house, if you live in certain zip codes. Alas, wasn't available for me, but yours might do something similar.
Probably the best thing is to buddy up with a neighbor and ask for theirs when they are done! If you can wait, just ask if you can take it from their recycling bin on the curb each week.
I've also been known to dumpster dive at the newspaper recycling containers. I needed paper for my litterboxes, not coupons, but same idea. Do you know of a local place (apartment, library, dorm) where there is a central newspaper recycling area? I got great papers when I lived in a dorm.
I just canceled my newspaper too because it was $18 a month and so few coupons are good for vegetarians anyway that it's not worth it. I can read the neighbor's paper instead since I'm a couple weeks behind anyway!
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