Part One. Everyday Life.
Some of these tips will be obvious. Some will be helpful. None of these things have ever made me feel above any other person, and to be clear I’ve never intentionally judged anyone if they spent money differently than me. It’s all about priorities. We’re all human. I hope you find something you relate to and maybe some different ways you could save in your life.
I decided the only way for this to work is to break it up into sections. If it doesn’t apply or speak to you, you could skip it. I know not all of these things are even plausible for some. It’s simple, we have always lived in a way where we had to save money where we could. We ended up with a big family and so we are always saving when we can and sometimes cutting out things in life because we don’t have that choice.
What you spend your money on is entirely up to you but it does come down to your priorities. You will learn that for our family we like to travel. Our house may not be glamorous or decorated like a magazine because my priority is on other things. You may want your home to be a dreamland because you want comfort when you are there. That’s your priority. And all of it is entirely ok.
Now that I’ve said my peace, I will get down to it. Daily tips. These are things you may encounter in the everyday.
Saving on food/drinks
To start our days, I drink water. My husband drinks black coffee at home. Coffee is either bought in bulk or on sale. The alternative is those who visit a coffee shop daily or mix different things in their drinks at home or visit the gas station for daily purchases. These are things that seem minor at the time but add up. I’m fighting trying not to do this myself! I get it! Once we had discussed with someone how they were going to the gas station daily and spending X amount of dollars. We realized if they cut those trips out they could take a nice week-long vacation, which they felt they couldn’t afford. This is why I mentioned priorities.
Lunchtime. If you work outside the home are you going to lunch daily or bringing lunch. I’m super picky so if you go out to lunch trust me I get it. I would too. My husband had always taken lunch, almost every single day. Now it’s covered, so it’s not an expense. If you don’t want to sacrifice the fresh meal, you could save a little by getting water instead of pop, or try to cut back to 3 times a week, or just go out on Fridays. Another thing to remember is that if you’re trying to become healthier then making your own lunch would be a healthier option.
Evenings outside the home
Where we live a lot of people have to drive a decent distance to take their kids to some sports practices. When my daughter was in dance I had to drive thirty minutes with all kids in tow while my husband was still at work in the evening. I heard someone say they had to get Mcdonald’s drive-through once a week for practice night. To be honest I don’t think I ever did that. I would pack a sack lunch for the kids to eat in the car and bring along books or have them watch a movie in the car while we waited for her at dance. I’m not saying that was a blast but it was a lot cheaper than other options. The next year I could go with just her to dance and I packed her supper to eat in the car on the way once we got back she was headed straight for bed.
Saving on gas
Your trips to work may have to be taken by car alone because of where you live. You might be able to carpool with a colleague or ride your bike in nicer weather. If you’re a work-from-home mom or stay-at-home mom try to consolidate your trips to town. I live in a rural area so it is a little bit of a trip to town and if I need something that I can’t find locally it is an hour’s trip. Make sure you are planning ahead and getting a list ready before you go so that you can save by going to town less often.
Right now I have to go to town daily for a pickup but when that wasn’t the case I usually just went to town once a week. I got my groceries, post office, bank, and library run on the same day. Life is too hectic right now for that to be possible to go to town once a day, but if I can stay in town while waiting for the next pick-up time I will save the trip. I realize if you live in a city most of what I said isn’t applicable because of grocery deliveries or ordering online. I’m not sure what the cost is for some of those things in the city but if they help you save by not going to the store and avoiding buying things you don’t need then that can be helpful. Who can go to Target without getting more than what’s on the list!?
I was going to add in this post tips for grocery shopping as it does apply to the everyday. I think it would be best with its own post and then I can also discuss meal planning.