Making The Most Of Your Money

We just recently went from a two income home to a one income home. It has been a time of major financial changes and challenges, but it has been exciting trying to make our finances balance out. Here are some things that we have tried. We hope that some of these ideas may benefit your family.

Ways to Save $$$

• Use cloth diapers
• Make your own baby wipes Recipe: You will need thick paper towels, hot water, baby shampoo, and baby oil. Cut your paper towels in half (about 1/4 of a roll). In a separate bowl mix one cup of hot water, 1 TBSP baby shampoo, and 1 TBSP of baby oil. Place paper towels in a container with a lid and pour the mixture over them.
• Make your own baby food We cook large quantities of frozen vegetables and freeze them in ice tray cubes. After frozen, we place them in ziploc bags. They can be quickly removed from the bags and thawed in the microwave.
• Nurse your baby
• Make your own bread One of the best investments our family has made is in that of a bread machine. We make all of our loaf bread, rolls, pizza dough, and numerous other items. Because of it's daily use, it has saved us much money and we also have the delicious taste and smell of fresh bread daily.
• Buy food in bulk We shop at places such as Sam's Club and buy food items in bulk. An example would be a 25 pound of bread flour. If you have the storage, you can save a great deal of money on things that you buy frequently.
• Meal plan Plan your meals for a two week period and only grocery shop for the things that are needed for your list. The less you go out to the store, the less you are tempted to pick up "impulse" things that you do not really need at that time.
• Cook quantities of food and freeze it
• Can or freeze vegetables from your own garden This can also be a wonderful and fun family project. We start our vegetable plants inside in the winter months(as part of our school time activities), and plant a garden to work on as a family project. Canning and freezing these vegetables is very rewarding and it saves money, too!
• Sew If you enjoy sewing, you can save money in many ways. Making clothes is a big money saver. We also have made curtains for our home(out of inexpensive sheets) and redecorated many rooms with discount fabric.
• Barter with friends Can't afford a babysitter? Need someone to watch your dogs while you go out of town? Trade services with friends and this can show love and kindness to one another while also helping each other out.
• Use a clothes line
• Open the windows when it is possible
• Cook things from scratch There are several recipes that we use to make things from scratch. For example, we make our pancakes, waffles and syrup from scratch. If a double batch of pancakes or waffles is made, the extra can be frozen for quick use at another meal.
• Cut your air condition up and your heat down
• Wash out your plastic ziploc bags
• Use coupons and rebates when shopping
• Use store bags to line your small trashcans
• Iron when possible instead of sending clothes to the cleaners
  
• Pack your lunchThis has been a great money saver for our family. Eating out everyday for lunch, even if it is just three or four dollars, really adds up by the end of the month.
  
• Be creative in serving drinks on picnics We love going on picnics as a family or with friends. The nicely packaged juice boxes can get very expensive. We try to fix our drinks ahead of time in cups with straws. It takes a little more time but the kids enjoy it. We save the juice boxes for special times and the kids view them as a special treat.
• Tithe to your local church We believe that this is a very important step to achieving financial happiness and security. After all, we can not out give God.

IDEAS FROM FRIENDS

• Create a budget We used Larry Burkett's budget software to help us get started. This has helped us tremendously.
  S. Perkins
• Turn off the television One of the ways that we as a family have saved money is by turning off the television. The cable box has been returned. We now spend more time together as a family DOING THINGS rather than just existing under the same roof. Eddie and Kelly Hayes
• Buy used. This practice, when used consistently will fill your house of its needs. CAUTION: As you discover more and more ways to get bargins, the temptation to buy things you really don't NEED increases. Drawers bulge, walkways crowd. Resist. Sources (from best to least): yard sales; local community shoppers, penny pinchers, newspapers, etc.; trading posts; thrift stores "Russell Stephens' Family"
• Never pay full price for anything. Making this a priority and a constant will allow for the times it is not possible to purchase on sale. Done consistently, this lifestyle will save you a bundle over your lifetime. "Russell Stephens' Family"
• Think creatively. Would you rent out an unused closet shelf for $20 or $30 a month? How about the space under that king-size bed for $75? Buy items on sale in quantity and store them in obscure places. Watch the $$ grow. Examples: tuna, canned veggies, paper goods, sundries "Russell Stephens' Family"
• Pray. Ask God to open your mind and heart to change. Ask Him to lead and guide your steps. Get caught up in Him, not this world and watch His hand move on your behalf. "Russell Stephens' Family"
• Make your own laundry pre-spotter. Take an empty dish detergent bottle with a pop-up top. Fill it 4/5 of the way with water. Add liquid detergent to the top. Close top & shake to mix. On laundry day, pop the top up and squeeze some onto collars, etc. before tossing them into the machine. Also, I discovered several years ago that 'FANTASTIC' is better at removing so-called "permanent" stains than products sold specifically for that purpose--it even takes out grease [about the hardest stain to get out] as well as grass, dried blood, ink, and most anything else. I've used it successfully to get grease and other stains out that have been on shirts for a long time--if it's really bad you may have to treat it more than once; put a paper towel or wash cloth under the stain before spraying it and then SCRUB WELL until the stain is gone. This has saved many a shirt from the "grubbies" category. C. Wolfe
  
• Make Cloth Baby Wipes I bought little baby washcloths {Some very cheaply- 4 for $1.00!} to make baby wipes. I bought one box of baby wipes and kept them in a zip lock bag in my diaper bag. Then I filled the empty box with water, baby oil, and baby soap. When I use a cloth I just throw it in the diaper pail with the dirty diapers! I never run out and have to run to the store for a new roll of paper towels! "Liz Reale; Home schooling mother of four"
  If you have any great money saving ideas, please email us and we would love to include them to share with other people. You will be given the recognition if you include your name. Thanks. *smile*
  
  Return to our
  
  Email: