Archive for ◊ May, 2010 ◊

I am writing this article to provide you with some suggestions for ways to cut expenses and save money in your daily life.  For those of us who have been laid off, had to take lower paying jobs or been faced with not being able to find a replacement job and opted to take an early retirement … corners need to be cut for sure.

I do not think that many people are prepared for the day when they find themselves with an almost empty bank account and the pantry in a shape of hungry despair.

It is amazing how much you can save at the grocery store if you choose not to purchase prepared foods.  Not only do you save money, but in the long run it is healthier for you.

Check your supermarket sales for the week and plan your meals using items that are on sale.  If there is a really good sale on chicken, seafood, or whatever, perhaps you may want to stock up on these items.  You could spend a little bit more one week, but the next week you would have already purchased your meat items, so it averages out.

The internet contains a wealth of information for cutting food costs.  I just Googled “recipes that allow you to cut food costs”, and the page that came up provided me with recipes for when you are on a budget, how to cut food costs, cheap and healthy (15 nutritious foods for about $2.00), a website that provides a weekly inventory management system to cut food costs and even a site to guide you on making your own baby food.  One of my daughters made her own baby food.  She saved a lot of money and her children are not picky eaters and are very healthy.

Be sure to sign up for the coupon sites.  It is absolutely amazing how much you can cut off your grocery bill if you take the time to clip coupons.  You can even go to a specific site, like Kraft, Maxwell House, or many others, and get additional coupons that you do not find in your weekly newspapers or at other coupons services.  I have saved at least half of my total grocery bill just by clipping coupons.  Nowadays, clipping coupons should be a requirement if you are trying to save money.  Get your kids involved.  They love to clip coupons.

Make it a family project and plant a garden.  It is a fun experience to see the plants grow and be able to harvest your “crops”.  I bought a spaghetti squash last fall and dried and saved the seeds.  I planted the seeds last week and I already have the plants coming up.  Spaghetti squash is healthy and tasty.  If you were to buy this in your grocery store it could be costly at $1.50 a pound and for one big enough to feed your family could weight three to four pounds. Just by taking a few minutes to rinse and dry the seeds you have saved a lot of money.

The wildlife (birds, squirrels, chipmunks) are a big help in spreading the seeds of various plants in your yard.  A couple of weeks ago while cutting my grass I discovered there were many little blackberry bushes sprouting in my lawn.  I have two bird feeders and thanks to the birds this year I have a many blackberry bushes that will be providing fruit this year growing under the bird feeders.  I am going to dig up these new little plants and plant them in a more appropriate place than the middle of my lawn!  These bushes will provide blackberries for eating, or making preserves and pies.  The best part is I did not even have to purchase these bushes.

Make use of the internet to save on other items you need.  Amazon has very reasonable prices on many items.  In most cases if you spend over $25.00, your shipping is free. Please check out the Amazon link on this page to compare prices.

eBay is another site that can save you considerably.  I recently found a seller for the ink cartridges for my Cannon Pixma 530 printer.  We all know how expensive these cartridges can be.  I have ordered cartridges from various suppliers.  I have even used Staples, who provides good service.  However, I found an eBay auction and have been extremely pleased with the product.  I discovered that you can order directly from the company.

I know we are all apprehensive about trying “other than manufacturer’s brand” of ink cartridges.  These cartridges come with the chips in place.  You simply have to take them out of the box, remove the plastic wrap, usual tab and cover from the cartridge and you are good to go!  They come with a one year money back guarantee.  I have saved a remarkable amount buying my cartridges from this company.  Check out their products at compandsave.com.  I recently ran out of one of my cartridges and was pleasantly surprised at the great customer service and speed in which I received my order.

You can cut your utility bills.  If you have ceiling fans be sure they are running 24/7.  In the winter you will save on your heating expenses and in the summer you will save on air conditioning.  Be sure your blades are set to go in the correct direction … counter clockwise in the summer and clockwise in the winter.  I have vaulted ceilings and when I first moved into my house my electric bill was outrageous.  I called the electric company and was told the tip about running my fans.  It has made all the difference in helping me cut costs in this area.

I could go on and on about saving money.  You see I had to learn this talent when my children were nine and ten and I got divorced and became a single mom.  There are some every day expenses that are pretty much fixed but if your search hard enough you will find ways to cut costs.

I hope this information will be helpful in ways to cut expenses and save money.  If you have other suggestions please contact me at Skype (my Skype ID is listed below) and I would be happy to share your ideas in future articles.

Judy Conway

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