Money saving tips?

[Ternera]

Hello everyone,
I am about to start my own family on April, 9th. Up until this time, I never had to think about family budget or savings. However, Now I'm starting a family on my own, so I have to figure out how to manage finances effectively. So I'm looking for advices from experienced housekeepers: where to get best deals on food, clothing, cleaners, pet food and so on. There are going to be three adult working people in our family (husband-to-be has an adult son who's going to live with us), plus a dog and two ferrets.
Any tips, ladies?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Crabtownboy]

Hello everyone,
I am about to start my own family on April, 9th. Up until this time, I never had to think about family budget or savings. However, Now I'm starting a family on my own, so I have to figure out how to manage finances effectively. So I'm looking for advices from experienced housekeepers: where to get best deals on food, clothing, cleaners, pet food and so on. There are going to be three adult working people in our family (husband-to-be has an adult son who's going to live with us), plus a dog and two ferrets.
Any tips, ladies?
Thanks in advance!

Well, I am not a lady, but here is some advice. :laugh:

1. Do not buy prepare foods. Learn to cook from scratch. It will save you tons of money. Learn to stir fly, like Chinese or other Asian foods. Use meat sparingly and use lots of veggies. Again you will save tons this way.
2. Budget using the envelope method. Get 4 or 5 large envelopes. Put money in each for that weeks groceries. You cannot deficit spend an envelope.
3. Pay with cash. Psychologically it is very different paying with cash rather than with a plastic card. You will not spend nearly as much.
4. Buy clothing from a consignment shop. A good consignment shop will have new or almost new clothing at greatly reduced prices. Our local hospital has such a shop ... it is the only place in town to shop for clothing other than undergarments.

 

[annsni]

Find a Dave Ramsey course at a church near you and both of you go and do the class. That's my biggest tip. You need to get a good foundation before we say to cut coupons or buy generic.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Find a Dave Ramsey course at a church near you and both of you go and do the class. That's my biggest tip. You need to get a good foundation before we say to cut coupons or buy generic.

Ann

Whats this Dave Ramsey stuff?

 

[annsni]

Ann

Whats this Dave Ramsey stuff?

Dave Ramsey is a guy who has a whole program on finances and stuff and I know SOOOOO many people who have been helped by him either to get started on the right foot with their finances or else being able to decrease or get out of their debt and use their money wisely. Here's the link: http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

 

[DiamondLady]

#1 Agree to have NO debt. If you can not pay cash you can not afford it
#2 No credit cards. Unlike days past, when you needed a credit card for reservations, now you can use your banks debit card just like a credit card for reservations.
#3 Make a budget. While budgets are guidelines it does give you an idea where to start
#4 Eat at home. Eating out is VERY expensive. You can cook a meal for a whole family for what it costs 1 person to eat out.
#5 I agree with Ann above...if a local church does not have a Dave Ramsey seminar at least buy his book and workbook and do them at home. He has daily radio program you can listen to which has helpful tips and information.

When you've done these things and gotten them down pat you can start on things like making menus, stocking the pantry, couponing, etc. The basics need to come first. The key...discipline.

 

[Salty]

Pay with cash. Psychologically it is very different paying with cash rather than with a plastic card. You will not spend nearly as much.

I must be a bit weird.

I spend less money if I use my credit card.
Cash just burns a hole in my pocket.

 

[annsni]

#2 No credit cards. Unlike days past, when you needed a credit card for reservations, now you can use your banks debit card just like a credit card for reservations.

Actually, we decided on having actual credit cards because stolen credit cards do not have money taken directly out of your bank account whereas bank debit cards do. A friend of mine had her debit card stolen and her entire bank account wiped out in a matter of 15 minutes. I have a debit card with no Visa or MasterCard logo on it so it cannot be swiped as credit - only debit and with a PIN. We just find credit cards safer but each one is paid off immediately.

 

[Crabtownboy]

1. Tithe.
2. Save at least 10% ... a tithe to yourself.
3. Never go into debt for anything that depreciates in value.
4. Live beneath your means.
5. Be discerning and generous to people in need that God brings into your life.

 

[abcgrad94]

1. Tithe.
2. Save at least 10% ... a tithe to yourself.
3. Never go into debt for anything that depreciates in value.
4. Live beneath your means.
5. Be discerning and generous to people in need that God brings into your life.

Excellent advice!

 

[Ternera]

Dear Crabtownboy and DiamondLady, thank you for you advices.
I already do some things you are talking about. For instance, I cook everything from scratch and rarely eat out. Rarely means a couple of times a month. When buying food, I looks for deals, like reduced prices, yesterday's bakery, "manager special" discounts and so on. Plus I have a membership in Sam's club. Also I try to save at least 10% of what I make, which isn't easy at all :laugh: I wish to say I also have no debt :tear: Because of financial illiteracy, I got into credit card debts which am currently trying to pay off. However, I feel that I can save more on everyday expences like food, cleaners, personal care and so on. For example, by using coupons (I miss that part almost entirely), knowing what stores offer best deals, making menus, cooking more price-efficient dishes and so on. Will appreciate any advice from experienced people on it!
BTW, Crantownboy, the advice I loved the best was #5 in your second post
Annsni, I've never heared about Dave Ramsey. It looks like the course is not offered anywhere near me, but I'll try to get his book. Thanks a lot for sharing!

 

[annsni]

Annsni, I've never heared about Dave Ramsey. It looks like the course is not offered anywhere near me, but I'll try to get his book. Thanks a lot for sharing!

I believe you can do an online course. Both you and your fiancee should do it together to be on the same page.

 

[DiamondLady]

For example, by using coupons (I miss that part almost entirely), knowing what stores offer best deals, making menus, cooking more price-efficient dishes and so on. Will appreciate any advice from experienced people on it!

I have recently started couponing myself and am having a BLAST!!! I LOVE walking out of a grocery store feeling like I finally got my money's worth. I get our local grocery store's sale ads and bargain shop without any regrets or reservations. For instance this past Saturday I stocked up on baking products are the local grocery chains sale. I spent $35 and got 5 5# bags of Gold Medal flour, 4 large bottles of McCormick real vanilla, 3 1# bags each of brown and confectioners sugar, 2 bags of coconut, 1 1# bag of walnuts, 2 pkgs of Crisco shortening sticks, and seems like I'm forgetting something else. Oh yes, 4 Angel Food cake mixes.

There are several really good couponing websites. (They may or may not be Christians)
www.coupons.com (there are printable coupons here, updated each week)
www.couponmom.com
www.thekrazycouponlady.com (she's got great tutorials on how to coupon)
weusecoupons.com
http://mynewaddictionsaving.blogspot.com/ (she is a whiz bang kid on coupons)
You can also see if your local grocery store has online printable coupons
There's a new series on TLC Extreme Couponing starts this week
You can BUY coupons on Ebay and http://www.lorihas3kids.com/ (she ships free if you spend over $2)

I also buy my local grocery store's meat deals 5 pkgs for $19.99 and split them up into meals. They're not the best cuts of meats, ie. pork steak instead of center loin chops, but they're still tender cuts and much cheaper. For instance the pork chop package has 6 chops in it. That's three meals for us. That works out to about $1.33 per meal for meat. They also offer frozen veggies 5 bags for $19.99 and these are the bags you'd find at Sam's Club. I buy freezer bags and divvy it up to meal size.

Look at your local churches and civic organizations and see if they are an Angel Food Ministry host site. We get the $41 a month box and it is LOADED with great stuff. Restaurant qualitity products. The April box includes steak burgers, chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), meatloaf, chicken wings, whiting fillets, chicken breast chunks, smokes sausage, meatballs, ground turkey and veggies, eggs, milk, and on. Go to their website http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ and see if there is a local host church near you as well as see the full options they have. There are 12 different packages you can buy.

I hope you found something helpful here! Be blessed!!

 

[glfredrick]

In addition to the GREAT suggestions above, I recommend learning how to grow a few easy items, such as tomatoes, salad greens, beets, green beans, etc. They can be grown in used pails on a deck or porch that gets more than 50% sunlight per day.

Find fruit and nut trees and see if you can gather some of the harvest. I'm shocked to see so many great trees that never get harvested! I've seen mulberries growing all over the city, but rarely do people harvest them. They make REALLY GOOD jam or jelly and are great to eat plain on ice cream. Apples sometimes have a worm or two. Cut them out... They still make great applesauce and apple pie.

Find an Aldi store... Best bang for the buck on food.
They are a German store chain that sells good stuff far cheaper than Kroger, Wal Mart, or other retail grocery chain stores. I PREFER some of their canned goods to the national brands. Cans are FULL instead of half water. their coffee is on par with high end custom roasted stuff that sells for big $$$.

http://aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm

Find a local fresh food co-op. You pay one fee per week and get boxes full of produce that would cost many times that much in stores. Plus, you get exposure to types of veggies and fruit that you might not otherwise try. You may find some things you really like!

http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/

Here is another blog that has great savings tips:

http://frugalfanatic.wordpress.com/

 

[Ternera]

Dear DiamondLady and Glfredrick, thank you so much for the advices! I will visit those coupon sites and start educating myself right now!
Yes, Gilfredrick, I am also surprised by the fruit trees nobody harvests. We have a berry tree (not sure what's the English name for it) growing right accross the street. Unfortunately they recently cut the lower branches which made the harvesting harder. But there is also a walnut tree in the nearby park. If anyone is interested in walnut preserves recipie, I can share it!

 

[glfredrick]

I've found that spreading an old sheet under any sort of fruit, nut, or berry tree, then shaking or prodding the branches with a pole, will produce a large amount of fruit without individual picking.

Works great for mulberries and the like.

For apples and larger fruits, a basket at the end of a pole works wonders, and gets the apples that others can't reach.

They sell these, but you can make one out of coat hanger wire for free:

http://www.amleo.com/fruit-harvester-picking-basket-telescoping-aluminum-pole-12'-reach/p/245FH/