What have you done to cut your budget?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
What have you done to cut your budget?
29
Thu, 10-23-2008 - 1:43pm

I know we have all given up one thing or another this year to cut our budgets.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Thu, 10-23-2008 - 8:22pm

Hey Norma!


Let's see. I do so much, I can hardly keep track of how far I'll go to save a penny!


#1 My grocery store gives us gas coupons. Every 100 dollars spent, and you get 10 cents off a gallon. So I wait until I am all the way on empty and then I fill all the way up and save $3.09 each week on gas. If you are really frugal, you can bring more than one car and fill up both on the same coupon! I don't do that though. Seen people who do!


#2 I cancelled my cable and use my cell phone exclusively. The landline just collected dust anyway. We never used it because we seemed to never be at home when we needed to use a phone! Funny how that happens. It's hard to not have TV, but I've really seen a change in the kids. They will do things they never would have done because their butts were stuck in front of the tv. We will be getting cable again in 6 months but I'm going to try to keep some TV rules.


#3 I signed up for my husbands Flexible Savings Account for medical expenses. I spend about 500 dollars a year on medical expenses like copays, glasses, dental, prescriptions etc. I

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-1999
Thu, 10-23-2008 - 8:50pm
The trick to returning stuff is to walk in like you own the place rather than looking nervous or meek or doubtful of yourself. Be confident but also be polite (I'm sure you probably are, but I've worked both sides of the counter and I will help someone who is nice to me more than I will someone who treats me badly).
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-1999
Thu, 10-23-2008 - 9:06pm
I learned a couple of months ago that if you constantly run your gas tank down to empty it is really, really hard on the fuel pump and they need replacing a lot sooner than if you keep a reasonable amount of gas in. I always used to run my car down to empty but I don't anymore. I don't go below a quarter tank now. Fuel pumps are really expensive to replace.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 1:22am

hmm.


well, i'm not really cutting my budget, because i've just always been poor.


but since i suppose i have more experience with it, maybe i can help.


i'm a 24 year old single mother of two.


i don't have an income.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 8:20am
Thanks for the ideas.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 8:51am

Wow..good to know! Our cars are really old and we rarely have money to fix anything on them. In fact, my husbands junker cars' battery just died. My life right now is just in the habit of running down to empty before I have time to get to the gas station, but I'll have to see if i can change my habits. I wouldn't want to pay for a new fuel pumnp. And that extra quarter tank really wouldn't save that much I guess.


Abbie

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 9:03am

I like your style!! Great ideas! You know, you can find just as many cheap things at Gymboree and Kids gap if you look at the right times AND they consign a lot better when you go to sell them after the kids have grown out of them. I have bought some items for 2 dollars and probably consigned them for 3! I should keep track! I love Target as well and have gotten great deals there for kids clothes, but people are amazed at what I can buy and for what price at the mall. I once purchased 200 dollars worth of clothes at Gymboree for 22 dollars. It was a shower gift and I bought her like 4 outfits! It was amazing.


I also keep a weather eye out for HUGE sales that I know I'm going to need later. Target is great for that!


And the main reason I'm posting is to tell you about the great program we just got our kids into. We have never had enough money to put our kids in the local sports every season

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 9:55am

Since my husband lost his last job in May and started this new lower paying job in late June, I cut out a lot of things also.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 9:57am
Good point, I do the same.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 09-20-2004
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 9:59am

We turned down the heat.