More ways to save!

We all know that we can save money by using coupons with sale prices when we shop. This is not anything new to any of us. But it can take time to plan a trip and lets face it our time is worth money! So in this post I am going to outline a few things you can do everyday to cut down on your budget!

First Utility bills Fixed spending!

• Turn off lights when you leave a room. Our parents always told us to turn them off when we leave the room and they were right! Keeping unneeded lights off can cut down on your monthly eclectic bill.
• Unplug electronics and phone charges when you aren't using them. Yep even when they are off or not charging anything they are still pulling electricity. So unplug them!Toasters, coffee makers, printers, TVs in rooms that don't get used much, take the night lights out when it is light out plug them in at night when you need them, and even your lap top  computer only needs to be plugged in when charging. So pull the plugs out and save on that electric bill!
• Turn your heat down just one or two degrees or your air conditioner up one or two degrees. Most people wont even notice the difforence in temperature put you utility bill will feel a lot lighter! Also remember it is OK to put a sweatshirt or sweater on in the winter and in the summer you don't want to come in from outside and have to put extra clothes on.
• Change your light bulbs... I wouldn't go out and pay 100's of dollars on getting all new light bulbs that would cost a lot and you would be wasting good light bulbs by throwing the old ones away before they are blown out! So replace them as they burn out, and if you find a great price on the LED lights buy a few extra so you have them on hand as you need to change them out.
• Set a timer when your in the shower. This sounds strange but I have a time go off after about 8 minutes this helps me not only stay on time for work but also saves water. Some people will take 15-20 or more minutes in the shower. If you can cut back on that time you will see the water bill go down.
• Put a pitcher of water in the fridge. That way when anyone needs a drink of water it is cold and they don't stand and let the water run till it's cold. Also a fridge that has more in it uses less energy to keep cool. Another way this saves is you wont be buying as much water bottles. If you live where your tap water isn't good to drink save money on water by buying it by the refillable gallon.
• Rain barrels will collect the free water that falls and you can use it to water your plants and grass. This will save a lot on water. Please not that you can buy them at your local home improvement store or search the wed for making your own. Do not just put a bucket out side with out doing some research you don't want to be a Miskito breeder!
• Fill your freezer! If your freezer isn't full with food it will take more energy to keep what is in there frozen. I would suggest putting some containers of water in there it will freeze and keep things cold. I have also bought those boxes of freeze pops that go on sale in the summer for just a few dollars and have a hundred or two in the box. Get a few of these they last forever and can be froze and thawed many times. They also work for icing a bump!

Other House hold Bills Fixed spending!

• Call your provider of Cable, Internet, home phone, and cell phone and straight out ask them for a better rate! I just did this and cut $30 off my cable, Internet. Got ride of the house phone all together, saving $70, then saved $50 on our sell phone plans. that's $150 saved a month and $1800 a year!
• Call your credit card providers and see what they can do for you. If they can't help you get a better rate look into finding a card that offers 0% interest on balance transfers. Then transfer your balance and pay it down during the 0% interest time. Sometimes if you tell the provider you are thinking of doing this they will try to keep you by at least lowering your rate.
• Pay off the higher interest rates before the lower.
• Use CASH (or your debit card) STOP USING YOUR CREDIT CARDS!!! IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT DON'T BUY IT!!!!
• Pay your mortgage bill buy monthly. Most people get payed buy monthly so if you pay half your mortgage payment when you get first it wont feel so painful and second you will end up making 13 payments in a year cutting way down on interest over your loan term. Taking almost 3 years off your total loan....
• Paying all your bills buy monthly will help. First you will being paying 13 payments over a year, not have any late fees, pay off things much faster less interest, you wont be tempted to over spend just because the bank account looks like there is money in it.

Now on to your Flexible spending!

• Use coupons and match them with a sale price. This will save you a lot on your everyday grocery bill.
• Stock up things go on sale about every two to three months so if you find something that you use everyday at a good price try to get anof to last about three months.
• Freeze things. milk can be frozen as well as yogurt. Bread and buns freeze. As well as many other perishable things. Think outside the box!
• Make your own. We use a lot of refried beans and black beans so I started getting pinto beans and black beens dry in the bag. I put them in the crock pot overnight in the morning I drain them and if I did black beans I put them in freezer bags in the amount I will need for a meal and freeze them. If it was pinto beans I put them in my blender or mixer are blend them up before putting them in the freezer.
• Make ground meat stretch. Add less ground beef and add refried beans to it. The beans are cheeper and it is healther for your family.
• Plan your meals around what you have and what is on sale. I post my meals on my fridge and that way I can easly make a meal on short notice. Saves me from just running out and getting fast food when I'm running late.
• Price match. Walmart, Target, and Shopko all will match competeters. Save the gas and the time of running all over and take your adds to one of these and get all your shopping done at once.
• Double coupons. Some stores offer double coupon days, check with your local stores if and when they do. This can be a great way to get things for free or next to nothing. 
• Have a garge sale! Ok that can take a lot of planning and time so maybe that isn't going to work. Try selling on craigs list or ebay. You can sell at your own pace and make a little extra cash. Another way is on facebook look for the groups in your area that are selling and buy. 
• If you shope on line start a Ebates account it is free and you get a % back everytime you make a perchase. This is payed out twice a year. I love this around Christmas time I get a check back after my Christmas shopping for around $75-$100. 
• Shop ahead. Save on gifts by buying things when you find them at a great price. I keep a tote with gifts that I pick up year round. Makes it easy for the last minute birthday parties!
• Use body wash in your hand soap dispensers. Body wash can be picked up cheep or free after sale and coupons. So use it, it cleans!
• Start a veggie garden. Even if you don't have a yard or a place for a garden you can still do a potted garden. I like to grow veggies and not have to buy them in the summer. I also freeze them so I have them all year round!

This is just a short list of things we do around here everyday to help save our money! I know there are many more ways and would love to hear from you how your family saves.