- School Lunch. I was SHOCKED at how much lunch money costs for my 2 boys! I only pay $1.50 per child per day, which doesn't seem like a lot but the amount I've paid this year to date (YTD) is $198.00. That's $25 per child per month. Capri Suns are about .15 each, plus a sandwich,a baggie of chips and a cookie would cost you about .50. That's a dollar a day that stays in your pocket, per child!
- Eating out. Our YTD is $371.14. This number does include our week long Spring Break vacation so it is a little inflated. That's almost $100 a month that we could save by taking the time to make food at home. Ordering pizza less would also cut this cost. (curse you Domino's!)
- Groceries. As you know, I use coupons when I shop. But there is always room to use coupons more efficiently and save more money. :)
- Preschool. May marks the end of us paying $85 a month for preschool. (YAY!!) YTD for Preschool plus admission fees for field trips was $434.25. yikes! To save money on preschool tuition see if you can volunteer or team teach at the school. Maybe you have a skill or trade that you could swap for a month's tuition.
- Cable. Do you really need all those channels?
- Extras. As you all know, I post internet deals on Thrifty 101. I am very picky about what I post on Thrifty 101. I only post the best deals I find that I think my readers might benefit from. If you have been looking for the item I've posted a deal on, that's great! Please don't fall into the trap of "It's a good deal, I don't really need it but I can't pass it up!" That defeats the whole purpose of living a Thrifty life. Just because it's on sale or a good deal does not mean you need to purchase it.
You can't save money by buying things you wouldn't usually purchase.
Love these tips! Thank you. I have started using coupons much better now and I am amazed at what I can get for pennies or even FREE if I just take a little time and check around for deals. I don't have crazy amounts of free time on my hands, so really, I only spend a few minutes a day looking around for the coupon printables and deals that I will use. So far, I've been saving a fair amount of money!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's great Heather! Every little bit helps. I was thinking this morning about creating a jar to put money in that I "almost" spent on say a candy bar or an online deal that I decided to pass on instead of purchase. It would be interesting to see how much money you save by just being conscious of it.
ReplyDeleteYou really are a gift to us Michelle. Thank you for you for being such a great example.. I look forward to seeing your posts-they are so inspiring and smart. You have conquered and have inspired us to spend wisely.
ReplyDelete