Having a low mortgage and no car payments (paid cash), combined with automatically deducted retirement and savings amounts meant that we did not have to cut back in other ways. We still eat out, have cable, netflix, buy new clothes, etc. Having a low mortgage is much easier than doing without all that fun stuff!

Anonymous wrote:Cut back on eating out. That was my money pit. I would spend $500/mo on groceries and then still another $450 eating out (family of 2). Once I tracked and saw it, I almost fainted. Now, only eat out every 2 weeks.

Yea, did that and groceries are much less expensive than eating out, but my expenses shifted from eating out to groceries. I used to spend $120/wk on groceries, now I spend about $190.

Cut back on eating out. That was my money pit. I would spend $500/mo on groceries and then still another $450 eating out (family of 2). Once I tracked and saw it, I almost fainted. Now, only eat out every 2 weeks.

pp here, 7 meals a week should be 7 days a week or 21 meals a week, obviously I should use my savings on reading comprehension and math classes.

Things that helped for us in the last year:

1) joined mint to track where all money goes
2) re did our cell phone plan, reviewed how much I had been using and switched to a lower gb plan, cutting bill in half
3) re did our cable plan. Initially we dropped cable and switch to roku and subscribed to sling tv. But sling is horrible, too many outages during peak times which negated the entire purpose of having it. I read on a prior thread that Comcast sometimes has cable and Internet packages cheaper than just Internet, so I researched that and it is true. It's called internet plus. I had to change my package online with a web chat rep and then pick up the cable box and remote to install myself but I save $10 a month just on the Internet vs Ibternet plus basic cable, then subtract the cost of the sling and Hulu and it saves even more. You get basic cable plus you can watch more online or on an iPad.
3) re negotiated our car insurance
4) started shopping at Aldi. We eat home cooked food almost all 7 meals a week, so shopping at Aldi has proven to save almost $150 per week for this family of 4
5) walk whenever and wherever you can
6) sell old toys and clothes, etc on Craigslist and listserv and then on eBay as last resort (bc of fees)
7) babysitting swaps
8) beg and borrow, need something for a temporary time period (need a ladder or want to watch a dvd or need a platter), borrow from a friend or library, etc and not buy a one time thing (also be willing to pay it forward by offering up your items to borrow)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avon products are crap.

I LOVE several of their products. You obviously haven't tried many. Like this morning, I had to use store bought Olay body wash. It's awful!!!! It's runny and burns. I was really missing my Skin So Soft cream body wash. Very much. (Pink one).

Since I've been using Anew Vitale Day Lotion (oil free), I haven't had a single zit the stuff is god send.

And I've never found a pore scrub like Avons invigorating one. It completely changes how your skin feels to the touch.

And their Super Extend liquid liner stays on my super oily lids alllllll day and washes off with just soap.

There's so many great products.

I cannot wait to try the concentrated retinol coming out in a month on my forehead.

Let me guess, you sell Avon???

Like it or not, there are true believers out there. I know a group of women in my neighborhood that have been buying Avon for YEARS!! When the usual lady moved on, they found someone else. Kids in my children's school have cute items from Avon that they get from their grandma or lady neighbor. It's cool.

Anonymous wrote:Interested to hear how others reign in their savings

Having cut everything else, groceries are where I've had to learn to stretch. I like having an abundance of items in the kitchen. I've started holding off of splurging and eat my way through the pantry a bit. For example, I bought tons of soup in November but felt like shopping again a couple of weeks afterward. When I shop, even when I tell myself it's just for the essentials, I end up stocking up on absolutely everything. I've been using rice more and going through those soups. I've been digging into my deep freezer and the back of cabinets. We've had some marvelous meals that I wouldn't have thought about if I'd kept to the shopping. Basically, I'm now following through on my intent. When I shop, I tell myself I'm saving myself another trip. Now, I actually am. It's no longer something I just say to excuse another cart from Costco.

I did the same with clothing this past season. I refuse to buy anything new because I didn't want to go a size up, but also because I have a huge closet. I've been "shopping" in my own closet for the past couple of months, finding things I haven't worn in an age. I feel much better for it, too.

"Need" is a pliable term. I've been reassessing its meaning. This has resulted in a big "cutback" and reduced so much stress.

Keep heat at 60 degrees.
Only eat out when it's with friends, never just because you're too lazy to cook.

Live in a lower-COL area and pay off your mortgage.

I used to have two jobs, one with a commute and one at home. I quit the commute job, which meant ending daycare which saved $2,000 a month plus commuting expenses. Now I do the at-home job at night after the kids go to bed.

Spend $100 a year for a prepaid phone
Only free TV plus netlfix
clean my own house
Avoid being in stores which leads to extra purchases. Once a week grocery shopping only.
Eat out 1x per week
Use the library

Pay yourself first. I do a savings draw the day my paycheck hits, and then I budget from the remaining money.

Use tax-advantaged accounts. Obviously 401ks and 529s, but take the time to project out your medical and dependent care costs and put that money in an FSA. You need to spend it anyway, so why not get the tax savings? If your child is in daycare, you will undoubtedly spend $5000 in a year. At a 25% effective tax rate, you can save $1250 in taxes by running the money through your FSA.

What really helped me to curb spending was to make a cash flow/budget spreadsheet. I listed every day of the year, every paycheck, every savings withdraw, and every fixed/mandatory expense. Then I saw how much money I had left and budgeted variable/discretionary expenses and extra debt payments from there. I look at that spreadsheet every few days to make sure I am on track. Seeing how much money I could accrue by the end of the year, while still saving and paying off debt, really helped curb some impulse spending.

I also give myself a monthly cash allowance to spend on lunches out, shopping, beauty treatments, etc. Once that's gone, it's gone though, and I have to live by the aforementioned budget.

For little things:
- I color my own hair at home, and use groupons for cuts (which means I can't be salon-loyal).
- I use mostly drugstore beauty products.
- I meal plan and cook at home.
- I shop my closet. I don't wear trendy clothes-- a lot basics and classics. But when I do buy, I buy natural fibers, and neutral tones. I buy one or two "trendy" accessories a season at Target or Old Navy (when neon was trendy, I bought some neon gloves; this year I bought a plaid blanket scarf).
- I maintain my weight (and made dropping my pregnancy weight a priority), so that I didn't have to buy new clothes.
- I buy DS's clothes on ebay, list servs, or consignment (and sell the ones he has outgrown).
- In the summer, I grow a small vegetable garden, and we eat from that. I will also can, freeze, and dry things from my garden, so that I can use them over the winter.
- We do a lot of home improvement projects on our own.
- DH does a lot of the car maintenance on his own.
- I clean my own house, and do my own yard work.

Track everything to the penny for at least a month. And then implement cuts (10%, 20%, whatever) in areas that aren't fixed, like groceries. We even did with this gas, which we didn't think we could reduce since we both drive to work, and can save by combining errands or walking. If we've used up our monthly household goods budget, we have to take it from somewhere else (for must haves like toilet paper or diapers) or just make do (no ziplocs? use tupperware for the rest of the month).

Unsubscribe from store emails.

Have to agree with the smaller house.
I take 2 months off a year because our expenses are low, and hoping to semi-retire at 50.
Free time is more valuable than stuff.
I'd also cut the cable, shop for a cheap phone plan (Boost), shop in Unique or better yet, in your closet.
Stuff is not going anywhere, China makes more of it and the price you pay is really not what the stuff is worth. Always amazes me how people feel bad when the accidentally lose cash, but have not problem overpaying for stuff.
Collect day where your don't spend any money other than bills. See if you can get to 100 a year.
It's a change in attitude. You can do without the $1.10 bottle of water when out for a walk. you'll survive, next time you know better and take it with you.

Eliminate premium channels on cable
Unbundle your triple plays
Mow your own lawn
Clean your own house
Keep older cars
Minimize eating out
Eliminate the use of credit cards