* Mend your clothes instead of buying new ones. Buttons are easy to sew on and only takes a couple of minutes. Many tops and cardigans have spare buttons sewn inside the item of clothing. Torn seams are easy to sew up. Just turn the clothing inside out and sew a few stitches. It really is true that a stitch in time saves nine ( and it saves some money too ).
* Throw out all the junk mail before the family sees it. Having junk mail lying around the house fuels the urge to spend money. Of course, take the time to have a quick look yourself in case there are some grocery or clothing bargains.
* To avoid all the unnecessary spending give yourself and your spouse a little bit of pocket money each week / fortnight or month. Up until about four months ago I'd never had pocket money in the 20 years I've been married. I'd never really needed it as I was just happy to spend money on groceries and household items when needed. When our family budget had to be slashed late last year, we switched to a cash budget which meant we couldn't afford to put anything on the credit card except petrol ( too hard to carry that money around ). To avoid denying ourselves completely Darren and I now get $15 a month each to spend any way we choose. It might not sound like much but it's enough to buy a food treat / cuppa or in my case, a small craft item.
* Cancel magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Many of these are available for free at your local library. Maybe ask for a subscription as a birthday present instead.
* Clean and declutter your home. When your hands are busy you'll forget about the need to spend. Having your home in order will give you peace and a longing to enjoy time relaxing in your nest.
* Avoid overpriced restaurant meals. Instead, invite your friends and family over for a meal where everyone brings a plate.
* Read a book instead of turning the tv or computer on. Reading doesn't cost anything and can be quite relaxing. If you need something new to read, go to your local library for inspiration.
* Buy fruit and veggies in season to save lots of money. Buying in season is when the food is at it's nutritional best too.
Avoiding unnecessary spending - that is my Achilles heal. 1000% better than I was but still need to curb the remaining vestiges of this bad habit. The only time I do not spend is when I purposely leave my wallet at home. I'm working on this.
ReplyDeleteAll great tips Wendy! thank you for posting!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Vicky
These are all good tips Wendy, but the one that I find the most helpful for hanging in there long term is the allowance. Having just a small amount of pocket money goes a long when you're in for the long haul!
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteLove these sorts of posts as it reminds me of things i may not be doing or spurs me on to try some new things.
I've been using my Themos so as to not boil the kettle as much and using the carpet sweeper more and only vacuuming once a week to try and offset the electricity costs of having the heater on more.
A while back , I costed milk costs for us, home brand $1.00 per ltr, , UHT (home brand) 0.90c per ltr and powdered 0.80c per ltr.
Thanks for the post,xxx
Maureen
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteGreat post as usual, I love your blog and your practical tips. Wendy, I have nominated you for a Liebster Award. I will be posting part 2 of this Award on my blog tomorrow morning at 6 am. This is where I pay it forward, to worthy blogs, like yours. My blog is stayhomeinstead.blogspot.com.au. Hope you enjoy the experience.
Kind regards
Fi
Thankyou Fiona. I feel honoured.
DeleteTimely reminder for me as I am due to have some surgery and will not get paid for 8 weeks. We will survive on the family tax benefits and my husband's pay from his part time job. I have 6 weeks of mortgage payments up saved. We should cope if I really stick to yours and mine frugal tips.
ReplyDelete