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


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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 10:01am
What are you doing for your kids for halloween.

Norma


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


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 10:12am
The return line was long and I think the clerk had had about all she could take.

Norma


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


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 11:00am

I am lucky because my mom has sewn me so many costumes over the years. My kids are going to be George Washington (a costume my mom made for last years play) and a clown (a costume she made for my first son when he was 5 and now I'm using it for my second son).


Maybe you could bake something with them. I saw on Good Morning America an idea to make a brownie mix and add somc chocolate candies to it to make it more halloween like. You can also put candy corns on top. Or carve a pumpkin. That way they get to have an experience with you instead of just a toy. If they

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 12:50pm

We had to run the air conditioning until a couple of weeks ago.

Norma


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


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 12:51pm

halloween can be tricky...


this might not help you immediately, but it could come in handy for next year.


the day after halloween every halloweeny thing at target is 90% off.


that 40 dollar jedi costume is 4 bucks.


i sometimes buy halloween costumes the day after and give them to my kids for christmas - what kid doesn't like to play dress up year round?

Avatar for meandmypea
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 2:41pm

1. Stopped our lawn service. I know that may sound like a no-brainer, but DH can't mow the lawn because his grass/weed allergies are so severe the whites of his eyes will swell if he mows. I work about 60 hours a week, and the last thing I feel like doing with the little spare time that I have with my kids is take time away from them to mow my 1-acre lawn every week. But it needed to be done. Savings - $780 a year.

2. DH does all of the grocery shopping now. He's much better at sticking to the list and gets everything at Aldi, which saves us a ton of money right there. Plus, he goes without the kids too. Savings - $250 a month

3. I made my coffee habit less expensive. I'm the only one in my house who drinks coffee, so I had been using a Senseo machine for my coffee because it was more convenient and tastes better. It's also substantially more expensive - $4.69 to make 9 cups of coffee, which I justified by saying, "But I don't get Starbucks..." I inherited a coffeepot from my SIL, so now I just buy plain old Aldi house blend, brew a 1/2 pot of coffee the old fashioned way in the morning, and stick it in a Thermos so that I don't get that scorched taste. Savings - $185.00 a year

4. We stopped buying Market Day at the kids' school and canceled our Schwan's delivery. Savings - $225 a month.

5. DH comes home for lunch now instead of going out to eat. Savings - $120 a month

6. We don't go out to eat on weekends anymore or order pizza on days when I don't feel like cooking. We make a weekly menu out before we go grocery shopping and have a small amount set aside every week for going out to eat. If the money's not in the envelope, we don't go out to eat. Period. Savings - $100.00 a month

7. Not everyone has the luxury to do this (especially now), but we sold our home in the boonies and moved to the town where DH works. We're close enough for him to walk to work.
And if I have errands to run, I do it with our gas-efficient car rather than the minivan. Gas savings - $250 a month

8. We use the library instead of buying books now.

Bridget



Bridget
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 2:48pm
You're smart.

Norma


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


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2008
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 5:29pm

I'm not much of a mall shopper for the kids... I don't go to the Gap, not because of the prices but because of the child labor they use in other countries to make their clothes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 5:57pm

I know what you mean about gymboree! They are so expensive! The only reason I went back in that store is because I've noticed that all the clothes that have lasted through 3 children have been gymboree clothes, so they must be better quality. Everytime I go to the mall, and mostly I'm going there to have the kids play at their little play area for free, I just quickly glance at the clearance items at gymboree. I also got on their mailing list and every once in awhile they send you these 20% off coupons, which include sale items.


Abbie

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