I am a stay at home Mom and my husband is a full-time student who works part time for the school. I don't have a lot of money to work with. I've already mentioned how we eat, but now I'd like to talk about some of the other things I do so that we can afford to live.
1. Cleaning supplies. I clean with the cheapest dish-soap I can find, vinegar, baking soda, and home-made laundry detergent. (1 bar fels naptha grated, 2 cups washing soda, 2 cups borax, mix together dry and keep in a clean jar with a thrift store tablespoon measure. One tablespoon per large load. I've heard of making liquid soap, but that just means more heavy stuff to carry to the laundry facility along with my son and the laundry). I don't buy sponges, paper towels, or anything like that. For washing dishes I use tawashis I make from the cheapest acrylic yarn I can find. They work better than sponges anyways. For cleaning up spills and other household tasks I use fabric scraps and our old clothing torn up into rags. If they're not too yucky after being used I wash and use again, but otherwise I don't bother and throw them away.
2. Clothing. I buy our clothing at thrift stores and we wear what we have until it either cannot fit us even if I alter it, is stained beyond remedy, or has a hole I cannot repair attractively. At that point the clothing gets altered to fit someone else, or torn up into cleaning rags. I buy attractive sheets and plus size clothing in good condition from the thrift store to make clothing for my son. I have made cloth diapers and wool diaper covers out of thrift store purchases in the past.
3. Transportation. We walk everywhere we can. I walk to the grocery store with the stroller and carry the groceries home in fabric tote bags, most of which I've made myself. (the bags also mean a five cent refund for every bag used at checkout!). When we don't walk we drive a 1988 Toyota Camry my parents found for us that cost less than 1000. It gets really good gas mileage to begin with, and to improve our fuel economy we are careful not to let it go below half a tank of gas. We set aside a monthly sum and then buy our car insurance twice annually, because that gives us a discount. We also keep a little money aside for repairs, and do as much of the work we can ourselves, with the help of our handy chilton's manual
4. Entertainment. We rarely buy music, movies, or books. We don't have tv. We have a television that we watch what movies we do own on, and movies we borrow from the library. Occasionally we spring for a redbox rental for a new release. We listen to the radio or music online. We walk to the park, play board games we already own, spend time with our friends doing free activities, or other such things. We have our weekly date night at home after our son has gone to sleep, or do something that will keep him quiet and entertained enough for us to talk (like go for a walk). Levi's toys are things like pots and pans banged with a wooden spoon, empty thread bobbins, safe kitchen utensils, and other household items, plus a few thrift store purchases and things he's been given by other people. When I want to give someone a gift, I make it myself, or find a way to get it cheaply either used or on discount. We do eat out occasionally, but we set a budget and generally we don't buy appetizers, drinks, or desserts. We always tip our server though!
5. Budgeting. We make a budget each month and try very hard to keep to it. We also track our purchases to see where changes need to be made. We also try to save money for emergencies so that we don't have to rely on credit. If we don't have the money for something, we don't get it. We are already saving for our retirement (a whopping $49.68!!!!). We live on eighty percent of our income. The rest goes to savings and tithing. Loren and I would never dream of not paying our tithing. Honestly, we can't afford not to. I'm convinced that the only reason we get by so well is the blessings we receive for paying it, especially being able to go to the temple.
Some people may think this is too much work, or that I'm depriving my son, or that this could never work for them. It's not true. If I didn't do these things, I'd have to get a job to afford a more "convenient" lifestyle. Levi would have to be in some sort of daycare program, and he would be deprived of me, which I think would be a far harder trial than not having cable and cool toys. And these kinds of choices can work for anyone who is willing to choose their priorities and stick with them. For my husband and I, having me home with our son is our top priority. So we make what changes we have to for that to happen. I am learning all kinds of new skills through the internet, friends, and the library. There are so many resources available to those who are willing to go out and find them. What kinds of things do you do to save money?
