Small changes that make a big difference #SavingsMadeSimple #pgmom

I was put to the test in February with the Family Financial Challenge and learned a lot! By following Gail Vaz Oxlade’s advice from her book, Money Rules, I was able to tweak our spending habits. We may not have been the best on living on cash. I actually found it nearly impossible. How was I suppose to figure out how much money we would each need to carry with us? What if I didn’t have enough cash on me for a purchase? I never ever carry more than $40 cash on me at a given moment. I’m use to relying on my debit card always so I was able just to use that for all purchases instead of cash.

My biggest takeaway was the small changes that I can do, and so can you! These small changes make a huge difference over time.

Make coffee at home- I love my Starbucks coffee. I prefer a latte or macchiato to regular brewed coffee but before you realize it, a latte a day adds up! Think of it this way, 5 lattes a week at about $5 each time is $25/week which is $100/month which equal $1200 a YEAR! That’s crazy talk. I switched to brewing my coffee at home which costs only a few cents a cup. Big savings right there.

Meal Plan- This takes some time and effort but again it’s a huge money saver. When you meal plan you end up shopping accordingly so you don’t have wasted food and then when 5 o’clock hits you aren’t freaking out about what you are eating for dinner! I learned to be realistic about meal planning. On a day that my kids have afternoon programs it’s not realistic for me to make a fancy dinner. Make friends with a crockpot! If you don’t have one, buy one. I love mine and I always have leftovers which I love! I also found that when you meal plan you are less likely to rely to take-out which again saves money! Check your panty often. Use what you already have. I made a lot of food concoctions using items in my pantry that turned out delicious and were a welcomed change!

Laundry– Having small kids requires me to do many, many loads of laundry per week. To keep up I have to do around 2 loads each day. Where I live they have peak hours and off hours for water usage. Doing one or two loads of laundry during the day isn’t going to break the bank but over the course of a year it makes a huge difference! I try to do my laundry during off hours which also includes the weekend so save money.

Fun can be free- We did so many fun activities last month that cost us nothing. We went sledding, to two winter festivals, spent time with friends and watched movies at home! All free. Sometimes it may take a little creativity to come up with something but look around your house and see what you may be able to re-purpose. The great thing about having young kids is that they can be entertained by anything! Right now Little Dude loves banging on empty boxes! Who needs expensive toys when he can entertain himself for a long time?

Track your spending– When you start tracking your spending and are aware of where your money goes. It’s easy to drop $10 here, $15 there but it quickly adds up! Try tracking your spending for a few months. I’m sure you’ll be surprised at some of your habits.

These are changes that I have made in my life. I plan to stick with them. What changes have you made in your life to save money?

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Comments

  1. Erika E says:

    I think the hardest thing for me would be to track my spending. Mostly because I don’t want to find out all the places I’m wasting money. I have started having coffee at home and I’m trying to meal plan.

  2. Anne Taylor says:

    I’ve never used a meal plan before, but after reading this, I may consider it as I’m always trying to save any money that I can!

  3. Aliza says:

    I definitely follow the first tip by making a tea at home and taking it in a travel mug to school – sometimes with a bit of unsweetened almond milk. It makes a huge difference.
    I also just bought a milk frother at Ikea, so I will give that a try once I find some batteries!

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