Saving money on a day to day basis

[Miss.September]

Vegie garden - we started ours this year and have an abundance of vegies that we use each night. This week our fruit/vegie bill was $29 where it can be anywhere up to $60 usually.

Layby - put what you need on layby. You end up spending less because you're aware that you have things coming, so it makes me work on paying them off instead of buying something that we don't need or have the money for. Using $40 each week on four laybies will get you a lot more for less in the end than buying something every week.

Another one who has a water bottle attached at my hip. Done this for years, even when at work. Everyone would shell out money each day, every few hours for drinks, and I'd just refill my bottle.

Make things from scratch - great way to cook using what you have instead of buying ready to go things, like cake mixes and pasta sauces. If you don't have the things you need already, then it'll cost to start, but it's cheaper in the long run.

[Gigi]

oh one tip, my friend always cuts out vouchers and coupons and leaves it in her bag.

what vouchers and coupons? every time i read about shopping coupons, it's usually a US frugal tips site. So are you talking about shopping coupons in AUST?

[Gigi]

this is a good thread, i'm a subscriber to Simply Savings forum too, that has great tips (many of which are in the above posts).

my worst savings faults are
- not menu planning (no matter how many menu planning sheets i download/print out, i just don't get the nuts n bolts of it, to actually make it work)
- going shopping without a list (hopefully this is a symptom of having recently moved house, feeling chaotic, cos when life is going smooth for me, i do use a shopping list).

i've just stopped buying 3 litre bottles of iced coffee, that was my indulgence.

taking water and snacks with me everywhere is something i've adopted in last few years, but most times, i forget to pack something to eat for me.
when stuck out, (snacks have been eaten, or i'm caught short), my make do snacks when out are:
i'm usually in or near a supermarket when it happens, so i go into supermarket
- buy one Twiggy Stick (salami) from Deli section
- buy one slice cheddar cheese from Deli section
- get yogurt tube
- get Apple Yogurt Slice
- banana from fruit section
that sort of thing - to avoid buying junkfood for bilby e.g chips.

I am feeling inspired by Kazbah's suggestion to grow vegies/herbs in styrofoam boxes.

[emc2]

what vouchers and coupons? every time i read about shopping coupons, it's usually a US frugal tips site. So are you talking about shopping coupons in AUST?

There are websites like Hot Dockets (Shop a Docket) so you can print off the voucher. Then there's the Entertainment book. Then there's the odd voucher that might come with your junk mail.

[~Trish~]

My DH and I have lived frugally for years so we can save for things and we have decided to save up for something quite big over the next 18 months and are trying to find more ways to cut down. It's hard because we've covered most things already LOL!

Things that save us money:

* We have a VOIP home phone instead of a normal landline. Last month's phone bill was $8
* We have solar panels on our roof (we were lucky and got them during the government rebate scheme). Our last power bill was $40 .
* We have a rainwater tank and DH plumbed it to our toilets so when we flush we are using rainwater, not freshwater. It's amazing how much water you use when flushing. It's great when we get our water bill .
* We have the cheapest mobile phone plans going around. Unfortunately you can't get that deal anymore (we've had our plans for 10 years and my last mobile bill was $6).
* We meal plan each week and shop at Aldi where we save heaps.
* I usually make double quantities of dinner so we can either eat it two nights in a row or freeze one so that when I can't be bothered cooking I can pull a frozen meal out rather than buying take away.
* We very rarely get take away.
* We have a veggie patch.
* I buy a lot of our kids clothing from Baby & Kids markets. I only choose things that are still in excellent/close to new condition and our kids end up wearing gorgeous designer clothing for a couple of dollars a piece . I also happily accept hand me downs!
* Most of our furniture is second-hand. We were finally going to upgrade to new this year until our new savings idea came up LOL! I don't mind living with what we have for a bit longer.

There's heaps more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I'll have to check out those money saving forums!

[Bloom]

Here is our interesting and challenging way for saving money: we have one month a year where we do no grocery shopping. At all. No even fresh fruit and veg.

During the year we tend to buy in large quantities from aldi (which is a bit of a drive away for us). And then, things tend to pile up in the cupboard. So for one month, we just make do with what is left in the fridge and cupboard. I make sure that I do have powdered milk for DS and tinned fruit for him. But it makes you be creative with what you have, use things up before their useby date and eat what you have, not what you feel like.

Not for everyone, and not possible unless you have a big pantry that needs cleaning out, but it works for us.

[MummaSue]

These ideas are all fantastic, thanks so much everyone. It's going well so far!

[Liviam]

Subscribing because we are getting our finances in order too - so sick of wasting money. I've just started a thread on the cost of monthly living. Seems like money is on a lot of our minds at the moment.

[~Lashes~]

subbing, ive got a 900 water bill that ive been "avoiding" from 2 moves ago thats just caught up to me so so glad i sold that bloomin pool!!!

[Gigi]

My DH and I have lived frugally for years so we can save for things and we have decided to save up for something quite big over the next 18 months and are trying to find more ways to cut down. It's hard because we've covered most things already LOL!

There's heaps more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I'll have to check out those money saving forums!

You are already doing lots of what the Simply Savings forum teaches. They also do $21 Challenges, War on Debt Calendars, and heaps of frugal tips how to make your own cleaning products, skin care products, all sorts of ways to save money. Everything people spend money on, they have tips how to do it another cheaper way. And ways to motivate yourself. pdf things to print out, tools to help you budget and achieve different goals. so many frugal ideas. and forums where you speak with other frugal people who get what you're doing.

you have got excellent frugal infrastructure (the solar power, your loos, your water tank, your vegie patch).

[mummato1]

Somehow (very tightly) we manage 2 mortgages, 2 cars and a baby on a minimum wage, and my parttime wage. So here are some of my tips to add, I am always interested in finding more ways too!

I have a spreadsheet of all of my expenses to keep an eye on where money goes
I have a bill calender (printed from excel) all bills are put straight on the calender when they come in.
I never pay full retail price! Know your prices and only I shop sales, and online for the best deals.
I have looked at (almost) all of our bills to find better deals / rates.. have a few more to go on this one!
I dont go to the hairdresser much anymore, and honestly my hair has never been better. All of my colour has grown out and my hair is now long and very healthy. I only get the occassional trim maybe 2 a year.
We have an awesome veggie garden and try to menu plan around seasonal produce and also what we have in the pantry (same principal as the $21 dollar challenge on simple savings)
I make what I can and support handmade markets / sellers.
Op shops - not as great as they used to be.. but sometimes you can still pick up a bargain
Only wash in cold water and we dont own a dryer (and I never have)
I take my own cup for takeaway coffee (my one splurge these days) that way I save 50cents everytime
I use vinegar and bicarb for most of the cleaning
I use cloth nappies, but I buy them on special or second hand. I havent paid more than about $18 for every nappy I have.
I still buy quality, for example I buy an expensive bra as I have found its best to buy one good one that 5 c%^p ones and end up spending more. But saying that I know how much they are and I buy them at end of season when they getting rid of the seasons colours and they are half price..
DF and I limit prepacked food and also try and make what we can from scratch

hmmmm thats all I can think of at the moment

[Gigi]

wow mumma1, you are doing really well.

i can't believe years ago, (before i had bilby), i used to have a Gloria Jeans fancy coffee, each time i went shopping. Cannot imagine splurging like that now.

i totally get the "opshops not as good as they used to be" - the corportisation of opshops is amazing - i see 2nd hand goods, needing mending, stains etc - for prices that are HIGHER than that brand new item in a retail shop! they are money making shops now, not places to sell things cheaply to people in need.

does the spreadsheet help you when some bills are weekly, some fortnightly, some monthly, some quarterly, some annual?
that is the problem i have run into, with past attempts - trying to accomodate all the differing bill timings (not sure how to express that bit).

[mummato1]

thanks Gigi, I am constantly surprised how we manage.. and there are times when I wonder where I am going to get the money for the bigger bills.. especially things like rego / insurance. But saying that I know we can certainly tighten our belts even more..

The spreadsheet I have is something I have had going for a few years, and its great to be able to tell what my 'big' months will be and I can plan around that. I dont really have it set up like budget as such (I am still working on that one).. But I can see from it what my average spend is at the supermarket over a 12 month period, and therefore what we spend each month and week iykwim. I do try pay things like electricty each fortnight when I get paid, so pay $50 or $100 on to it so it doesnt hurt as much each quarter.

DF and I are working on clearing our debt bit by bit, and we have also made a big list of all of our debts including the balances and interest rate.. so we know which one to pay off first (the ones with the highest interest rate..) and then once that one is paid off, we still pay the same amount but on to the next debt.. does that make sense?