Frugal living

Oh and get your DH involved. I kept trying to get my DH to bring his lunch to work and he wasn't on board until I added up all his lunches over a couple of months. He was shocked that his lunch budget was MORE than what we were spending on groceries. He still doesn't take it everyday but he is much better that he was. He just needed to see it in black and white.

What great advice, ladies! When DH got sick and the economy tanked at the same time, we saw our income drop by half. It was amazing to me, but we were able to manage without going into debt.

I stopped setting foot in stores. I unsubscribed from all store/shopping emails.

We even canceled the cleaning service at DH's office and did it ourselves.

You have received lots of great ideas and we have done them all!

You don't really need all the baby gear that is out there. Ask other moms what they found helpful and what items didn't live up to claims made by the manufacturer.

Vacations - take simple vacations. We visit my mother-in-law and do simple things when we visit with her. It's really about spending time with her. It gives our kids the chance to get to know her. We drive we don't fly. 

When your little one gets older buy a yearly pass to the zoo or children's museum (if you have one close to you). We spend many, many days at the zoo and the kids are not tired of it. Our zoo is big and it's great exercise for me with all the walking and it keeps me out of the stores!

Honestly I think my biggest suggestion is to keep everything simple and don't worry about what other people are buying or doing. It can be hard sometimes to hear your friends gush about their fancy vacation, latest technology gadget, and brand new luxury car. It really comes down to what is important to you. I can tell you that little kids don't really care what they ride around in, if they take a plane to get to the vacation destination, if they have a tablet or heck even if their clothes match! 

While I hesitate to buy certain food there, this isn't too bad of an idea. Keep in mind, pepper is pepper whether it's from McCormick or store brand. Same with garlic powder, salt, etc. If you want to have basic seasonings on hand, the dollar store is a good place to get them. Just always check the best by date. 

Same can be said for a lot of basics - foil, baggies, dish towels, organization baskets, etc. I buy doggie poop bags there. I can get 150 bags for $1. That's 150 walks. 

Also, coupons on things you already buy. Don't switch brands just because there's a coupon. Shop sales and plan your meals and buy for those. No need to get 5 cans of tomatoes just because it's 5/$5. If you only need two, get two. If your freezer is big enough, freeze stuff. If you have room for stocking up on stuff, then do it when they're on sale but remember to shop from your pantry first when planning your meals. My mom had 10 cans of fruit because she kept buying more, forgetting that she already had some AND buying the full sale "deal" even if she only needed one. Her garbage man hated me one week when I tossed two bags full of stuff because it was all outdated.

Do you need cable? Can you switch to NetFlix or some other streaming service?
Do you have a gym membership? Is it really a necessity?
How often do you go out to eat? Get Starbucks (or whatever your equivalent is)? How often do you drink pop? Buy beer or wine?

I've cut out pop as much as possible. I don't buy cans or bottles anymore. I get one fountain drink a week. DH and I have cut back on our beer. We've saved nearly $30 a month doing this. He takes leftovers for lunch.

So many great ideas listed here already. I try to buy only things that are on sale when I go grocery shopping and if I can't I will buy the store brand. We have a Wegmans grocery store and their store brands are AMAZING and cheap!

I also find that if I use cash when I'm out instead of a credit card or bank card I spend less money. If I have to run to Target for a few things and if I only take the $20 I know I will need, I will not buy extra impulse items.

I agree with going down to one car. Even if it's paid off, you will be surprised at how much you will save without paying for insurance and gas. It's been a lifesaver for us.

find free or low cost activities to do on the weekends or what not. There is so much out there you will be amazed! Once or twice a year there is free museum day where you can go into local museums without paying the high cost entrance fee. We always take advantage of those days. If you enjoy going to the zoo and you probably will love it when baby gets older, it's cheaper to buy a membership than it is to buy tickets/pay for parking if you go frequently. Our membership pays for itself at the second visit and there is always something going on at the zoo to make it worth going more than once.

Make your own laundry detergent and cleaning sprays! I can make a batch of laundry detergent for $20 and it lasts me 2 years and that is with 4 people in the house! Search Pinterest for homemade detergents and cleaning sprays the stuff is amazing! I don't even buy the expensive shampoo for my steam cleaner anymore. Vinegar, baking soda and hot water and my carpets look great when I'm done!

If you buy online do a search for coupon codes and free shipping codes. I shop for my boys at Children's place and I know next month they will have great sales, plus there is usually a coupon code hiding somewhere out there and I can outfit them both for about $60 for the summer. I do shop consignment sales twice a year, but my boys are at the age where I don't find as much as I used to because boys tend to wear their clothes out before they outgrow them!

I forgot to add to buy generics when possible. Such as Tylenol, Motrin, body wash, powder, wipes, even diapers can be store brand. You can save so much money than their name brand counterparts. I loved Target for store brand baby needs, they were the best!

I was going to suggest this too. Not only is pop/beer expensive, but it's just a lot of empty calories you won't miss. We switched to drinking mostly water and not only does it save money but it's so much healthier too. Plus we're setting a good example for our DD.

Another thing to do is to try and start putting money away now if you can. If you are still working now I would sock away as much of that money as possible. Babies don't need nearly as much stuff as we think. I thought I needed so much and later regretted how much money we wasted on stuff that we really didn't need.

Find other frugal moms - this is a biggie if your friends are spenders they won't understand you trying to save money. There is nothing wrong with trying to be frugal and saving money. Living within your means will be so much less stressful than spending more than you make and getting into debt.

We found lots of free things to do around town that didn't cost anything but gas - of course if it is far that could be a lot

I still don't dry my jeans and towels all the way in the dryer. I have a little folding clothes dryer that I use. It also is better for your clothes if you don't dry them in the dryer but I need them in there for a little bit so they are crunchy LOL.

If you have a digital camera take lots of photos while they are small. They change so quickly.

One thing that has helped me over the years is to do a no spend challenge. There are several that are starting up Feb 1st - I belong to several money saving facebook groups. This means that you don't spend any extra money this coming month. No crafts, eating out, entertainment, clothes. During one of these challenges you also eat from your pantry - and only buy things you really need - ice cream and such don't count they are not a need. You will be amazed at how much extra money you normally spend without even thinking about it. It is also a good way to clean out your freezer and pantry if you have them. The idea is to then put the money into savings and to learn what you really need vs want. I like doing it around this time of year because we usually have a few gift cards left over from Christmas if we really feel the need to go out for dinner.

You may want to try swagbucks - it is an on-line site that pays you to do activities, watch videos and sometimes even gives you a little back when you shop on-line. You won't get rich doing it but if I am already at my computer or not doing much I can still earn a few bucks that you then cash in for gift cards - Amazon or local restaurant. If I work at it I can make an extra $50 a month - I have slowed way down though as it takes a lot of time to make that much - unless you are already on your computer anyways then you can just pop in and do an activity between doing your other internet things.

It really isn't that bad once you get in the right mind set. Good luck.