10 Simple Ideas for Saving Money

by Stephanie Foster
Aspects of Design

Many families are on tight budgets these days, and that can hold particularly true for families with a stay at home mom or dad. Getting by on a smaller income is challenging at times. Most family budgets have places where you can easily save money, and other areas that are more difficult.

20 Simple Money Saving Ideas

1. Make the most of handmedowns.

If you knew how rarely I buy new children's clothes, you might be shocked. I don't buy them much at all, despite having three children. I get plenty of handmedowns, and that solves most of their clothing needs.

They aren't all from family either. I've had friends with children give handmedowns as well. I don't think I could add up how much handmedowns have saved. Just be sure to reciprocate as possible.

2. Plan your meals for the week.

Having your meals planned out allows you to more easily make your shopping list and helps you avoid food spoilage, as you know what you're going to use. Plan to use foods that spoil quickly earlier in the week.

This will also encourage you to eat more often at home, as you'll know what you were planning on making. You'll have less reason to eat out because you can't decide what to make.

3. Buy in bulk when it makes sense.

Buying in bulk does not always make sense. Sometimes it's one of the worst moves you can make. But when it makes sense, it's a good money saving move. Canned goods, rice, personal care items and so forth can be cheaper if bought in bulk. Be sure you compare the price per unit (ounces, for example), so that you know for certain that you're getting a better deal. Sometimes the bulk price difference isn't worth having to store the extra.

4. Pay down debts.

This is especially important for any high interest rate debts such as credit cards. Interest rates really eat up your minimum payments, so the more you can pay down your credit card debts, the better off you're going to be in the long run.

5. Avoid bank fees.

Banks love fees. They make good money off some of them. It's to your advantage to be aware of what's going on with your accounts so you can avoid ATM fees, overdraft fees, monthly fees and so forth.

Take a good look at your monthly statements to see when you're getting hit with a fee by your bank. Decide if it's worth sticking with that bank if it's a fee you can't avoid, or how you can avoid that fee in the future if you could have avoided it.

ING is a good choice of online bank. They also offer accounts for kids, if you're ready to get them started.

6. Just how many phones does your family need anyhow?

Lots of families have more than one phone these days. Cell phone for mom, cell phone for dad, maybe even a cell phone for each of the kids, plus the landline phone for the house. Just how many of those do you really need?

The answer to this will vary depending on your family, but if you need to cut back on expenses, it's worth reconsidering how many phones you have. Some families get by with no landline phone, but if it's bundled in with your television or internet service you need to look at what you'd really save by cutting that line.

You may be able to replace some paid options with cheaper or free options. Look at the plan your cell phones are on, and make sure you have the most cost effective one for how your family uses them. Look into Skype or Google Voice for when you don't need a cell phone. Either can be a good choice if you need a line for your home business.

7. Swap babysitting when you need a night out.

If you don't have willing grandparents in the area available for babysitting, swapping babysitting with friends or family members is the next best thing. Trade off taking care of each others kids so you can all get breaks without spending a fortune on the sitter.

8. Use your local library.

Libraries are a great resource that many people don't take advantage of often enough. You can get books of all sorts to read for pleasure or to learn from. You can often order in books from other branches if your local branch doesn't have a title you're after.

Many now also offer DVDs for rent. With Redbox and similar machines renting movies out for $1 a night, the library may not be as appealing as it once was, but it may still be a good option for movie rentals.

9. Keep your car maintained.

Cars can get expensive sometimes. Basic maintenance adds up fast, and breakdowns can be even worse. Even so, that maintenance is important, as it keeps your car running longer and more efficiently.

Some things you can handle on your own, such as keeping tires properly inflated. This helps them wear more evenly, and improves your gas mileage.

10. Sign up for free customer rewards programs.

Stores love customer rewards programs, as they give them a lot of data about your shopping habits. I don't think the privacy lost is too big a deal, but not everyone likes sharing their shopping habits like that. In exchange, you get discounts on certain purchases. These can be quite significant.

That said, my favorite stores give you discounts without requiring the cards, but when the discount is offered, why would you skip it? You can keep some of your privacy by using a Google Voice or other number to sign up, rather than your home or cell phone number. Alternatively, get friends or family to agree on a single phone number to use, and all shop through that card.

Stephanie Foster shares more tips at Home With the Kids about frugal living for stay at home moms. Get another simple money saving tip at http://www.homewiththekids.com/blog/2011/04/come-back-later-a-simple-money-saving-tip/

Article submitted Thursday, July 21, 2011 & read 1 times.

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