We all know having a budget is important, mainly because it helps us realize how much money we are spending. Although it is no fun, once the budget is created, it’s easier to save money because we can pinpoint areas to cut back. Not all ideas work for everyone, so experiment and see what works for you family. I have five ideas that have helped us and might help you too.
Discount Codes
Most of us are trying to manage time to balance out all our duties. I’ve found that shopping online with a discount code can save on gas, time, and money, because I always remember a few more things I need when I am at the store. For instance, if you’re buying furniture, then use a discount like this World Market coupon code to save money on your purchase.
Change Jar
I’ve mentioned this idea before, but it’s a good one that bears repeating. Having a family change jar that the kids can decorate with paint and stickers so they feel involved is a good idea. Family members can empty their pockets at the end of the day or just whenever you have some spare change. Make it a game with kids. Search for change under the cushions, in the car, or, my personal favorite, the washing machine, and add the findings to the jar. The kids can watch the money growing in the jar, which gives them an incentive to keep participating. You can then decide how the money being saved will eventually be used, from a family outing to a major purchase the whole family can enjoy.
Save on Groceries
You can bring down your grocery bill by planning ahead. Have a weekly meal and snack menu and stick to it. The grocery list can be created according to this list, which you can take to the store so that you don’t end up buying anything extra. You can base your menu on all the supplies that you have in hand, and also on the items that are currently on sale in the supermarket.
Stay Home
As a family, it makes sense to eat and play at home when you’re thinking of saving money. There are many families out there that spend a lot of money on entertainment and dining out. Determine the “average” amount that you usually spend when your whole family eats out at a restaurant and then plan the number of meals that you can buy in groceries for the same cost. You can work on increasing the appeal of eating at home by finding new recipes and planning some themed meals. Have the kids help to create memories. Plan family activities that can be done at home with little money, like reading books, playing board games or gardening.
Plan Travel In Advance
You would not believe how much money you can save by planning a vacation in the off season. Most “tropical” locations are less crowded in the summer since people want to enjoy warm weather in the winter months. By checking out airport information data in advance you can also save hundreds of dollars on flights.
These are super simple money saving ideas, but they can be really helpful in helping your family save money in the long run.
I like the idea of a change jar. My husband and I used to have one years ago, and we were able to save enough money one time to get one of our family’s friends’ child some Christmas presents one year when he wasn’t going to be able to get anything. I thought of starting it up again, to save to go out to dinner with, so that we wouldn’t put it on the credit cards!
Thanks for offering ways to save money. You have been so helpful to us. It seems to be getting harder and harder to save money these days. These tips are coming in handy right when we need it. God bless.
Thanks for the great list. We recently implemented a dinner list to encourage us to stay at home.
AWESOME ideas and yes.. saving is a MUST!!!! You can save money on so many things. we use coupons ALL the time and saved a ton; I also don’t have any credit card bills saving me interest payments and headaches. Thanks for sharing these great tips.
I really need to get on the ball with planning meals. That one gets me every time as I’m constantly running to the farmer’s market or local grocery store for the extras I need. Though, I like super fresh ingredients, too, so the farmer’s market will likely remain a bi-weekly stop but I could certainly plan around it!
I love the tip to use Discount codes. The Internet makes it so easy! 🙂
Great information and that change jar always works for me. I had a friend that put down a down payment on a house by using that.
I like the tip to stay home! We need to be better about this. We eat out too much and it’s mostly my fault.
I learned the hard way about planning travel in advance. I wanted to come home a day early last week and the airline charged $1400+ for changing to come home a day early. I ended up not coming home early because that was too expensive. I should have planned better.