10 Things I do to Save Money $$$

I have been a Stay At Home Mom for 15 years. It is my dream job. Than after losing A I didn’t want to miss a thing with my other kids. My husband has supported me staying home since day one and I love him for it. I am very grateful and appreciate my husband who works very hard to support his family. I have learned a few things about saving money through the years, our trials and some desperate times.

Thrift Stores – Clothes are usually much cheaper there than retail and kids will just out grow their clothes in a year anyway! Yes, you sometimes have to put a little extra effort into finding the good stuff but it is worth the savings.

Coupons – I am far from a coupon expert. When we need household things like paper towels, laundry soap, house cleaning supplies, toilet paper, shampoo, dog food and other random house stuff I buy. I always try to have a coupon for it.  Get Great Coupons HERE!!  Sometimes you can even go to your favorite products website and find coupons there.

Pets – We have a small dog, Charlie- I do all his grooming . I Brush, Bathe, Trim his nails and Groom him. I cut his hair about every 6 weeks. It isn’t perfect but I think he still looks cute and with time you get better at it. That picture is from Christmas morning so don’t mind the mess 😉

Family Hair Cuts – I buzz cut my husband and 2 boys hair.  I always have. My boys have never been to the barber. I have gotten quite good at it and can even do a little bit of styling now. My daughter and I go twice a year with coupons of course. If need be I will trim hers a bit if she is getting too many split ends.

Fill the Washer – I don’t do small loads. Not that I ever have small loads but if I am using the detergent and water … I might as well fill it up.

Aldi’s – If you have one –  Shop there!! When we got one in our town we literally cut our grocery bill in half.  Aldi’s ROCKS!! Check them OUT!!

Eat at Home – Yes, on special occasions we do go out usually with out the kids. (Like for our Anniversary). But 99% of the year we eat at home. No, I do not love cooking but it is cheaper and it works.

Hang Dry Your Clothes– With the all the laundry I do I hang as much as possible. I have 2 of these indoor laundry hangers and they are great. I hang up our  Jeans, Pants, Sweatshirts, T-shirt, Shorts anything I can…. Then I only dry socks and undies. I do throw the dried clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes just to soften them a bit if they get stiff but usually that is all it takes. At back to school time Aldi sells these racks for $10 a piece 😉

Shoes – Once your kids are older – Buy good shoes for them. The big box store shoes don’t hold up and you will end up buying more pairs and spending just as much or more than you would on a good pair of shoes. You can find great sales on good shoes online very easily. When buying online always open a new tab and google coupon codes for the store you are shopping at.  I use this site quite often.  Online Store Coupons

Sell Your Things – When you don’t use/no longer have a need for something, haven’t worn something or your kids outgrow their stuff. SELL IT!! My family knows if its not nailed down or I’ve gave birth to it I will sell it if we need extra money. Facebook yard sales are great or give E-bay a try!!

No Extras -We also don’t buy alcohol or smoke but to each their own. I know we are not very exciting like that.

**BONUS Tip**

Coffee – We make our own coffee at home. No fancy, expensive, drive thru, convenience store iced or hot coffee drinks for us!!

We also do a lot of free events around our area. There are usually lots of community days in the summer, the library, parks, and many fun family things to do for free.  All you have to do is look online, in the paper or on social media.