Working moms, please share your frugal tips.

**Missourimom** · 08-04-2009, 10:51 PM

Please, tell me how do you stay frugal while working outside of the home. Do you have any tips?

**Siebrie** · 08-05-2009, 04:58 AM

I:

- bring my own lunch to work every day, and in tight times will eat 6 wholewheat sandwiches every single day, even with the same cheap filling;
- have 2 pairs of office shoes, one brown, one black in the office at all times. I commute in my homeshoes or flipflops;
- use the shoepolish machine at work regularly;
- change into homeclothes when I arrive home, before I do anything else. Even dd has to wait for her kiss, although dh is usually clean enough to hug ;-);
- use the office telephone to make private calls (allowed by company);
- take sturdy empty boxes home to use as storage;
- nylon stockings/kneehighs are only for working hours, I put them on and take them off in the office toilets. The less they are walked in, the longer they will last;
- go to the toilet at work before I leave (this is not just frugal - if traffic is stuck the commute may take 1 hour);
- have always something to snack in my drawer and if I really feel the urge to snack, I try to delay by 15 minutes, then another 15, etc. Sometimes the urge to snack disappears, sometimes it doesn't.

That's all I can think of for now.

**sunshine** · 08-05-2009, 06:20 AM

Menu plan - so I'm not tempted by take out. . . remember your crock pot is your friend!

Enlist the help of family members for house work, etc. Even little ones can take their clothing to the laundry area, fold wash cloths, wash baseboards, etc.

Pack lunches the night before -- so they aren't skipped in the morning rush and then you end up buying lunch out.

**ladytoysdream** · 08-05-2009, 06:32 AM

When I worked outside the home, I used to take my lunch/snacks with me. So on my lunch break, I could run a few errands if I needed to, eat my lunch and get back to work on time.
Ran errands on the way home so I did not have to go back to town any more than necessary.
Keep a list going of what you need so hopefully nothing gets forgotten.

Sometimes you can swap things with people at work. The one place I worked, a co worker's mom and I would swap paperbacks.

**Karen1** · 08-05-2009, 06:52 AM

Also is there anyone in the home you can give a few chores too?

Sometimes just a little help on one or 2 tasks means you can de-stress a tad and that means you can slow down and save more money. When we are in high speed we get lazy about spending, --we spend money to make life simpler and faster to make up for that time loss.

just a thought

all the other advice is great stuff!

**Shoshana** · 08-05-2009, 07:44 AM

As a single working mother, I find it's really important to:
-prepare our lunches the night before (and to prepare anything else I can to ease the morning time crunch).
- bring coffee from home in a to-go cup.
- snacking at work isn't an issue for me if I've prepared a good lunch, but drinking

is. I always try to have plenty of types (water, hot and iced tea, diet soda) of beverages available so that I can avoid buying sodas for $1.25.
- do as much cooking on the weekends as possible. I'm too tired in the evenings and the evenings are too short to spend in the kitchen -- and if I perceive that "there's nothing to eat", then my tired mind is quick to rationalize eating out.

**Karen1** · 08-05-2009, 07:51 AM

AND is there any perks you can get from your new job?

like do they offer employee discounts or anything? be sure to check what your job can offer---you never know what great opportunities that might be available.

I worked as a computer programmer for CIGNA when I lived in Connecticut. (long time ago..LOL) WOW, their employee free stuff and discounts and all that were unbelievable. A good company to work for and yes, I took advantage of all they offered.

Tony's job at Commscope offers discounts everywhere. We went to the local Science Center with Nicole and I saved $10 off admission for the 3 of us.

So little things like that might help you!

**AmyBoz** · 08-05-2009, 08:12 AM

Glad you asked! So many people seem to think that the only way to be frugal is to NOT work outside the home, but the truth is, I find I am way more frugal than most of my friends who are SAHM, so it can be done!

In order to be frugal, I:

-pack all of our lunches from home, but I pack them the night before so I don't get tempted to send lunch money or have dh or I buy lunch because I'm pressed for time in the morning
-I don't spend a lot of money on my work clothes, even though I need to look professional...instead, I have a few tops and a few bottoms, all of which are interchangeable, so even though I'm wearing the same clothes, they all look different
-only buy clothes that can be washed, NEVER buy dry clean only clothes
-combine errands with the way home from work...saves gas to not be driving around at all hours...we just get what we need on the way home
-only do the grocery shopping on Sundays, and do so by comparing sale items with the coupons I have...I have a list and it is complete for the week...I never make a mid-week trip to the store; if we run out, we run out...much better than stopping in and leaving with $30 of extra stuff we hadn't planned on
-I start a load of laundry before going to work in the morning, then switch it over to the dryer when I get home, or hang it on the line when I get home.
-I use my crockpot often...put in dinner before work, and there are just a few things to do when I get home and dinner is ready

-I use freecycle to declutter, but will sometimes use it to get toys or games for the kids - they're FREE!!! and we pick them up on the way home
-I shop at resale stores or our church bazaar for Christmas/birthday gifts...my kids don't care/don't know if the stuff has been previously used and it saves tons of money
-I accept and appreciate hand-me-downs and hand-me-overs...the majority of my clothes and my kids clothes are from other people...we, in turn, pass on our outgrown stuff to others as well
-we hit the library on our way home several times a week. Dd and I are huge readers, and the kids also enjoy borrowing dvd's .
-I don't make the mistake of thinking that my kids need to do big, exciting things to be entertained...we go for walks, we play board games, card games, and just do things together...it's the best family time and it's free!

Just because a Mom works doesn't mean that she can't take time to hunt for bargains or that she needs to spend a bunch on work clothes or that she can't have a frugal home.

**frugal is fun** · 08-05-2009, 09:26 AM

I "ditto" everything that has been said so far. Everyone's advice is right on so I'm not going to repeat.

But I will say my biggest challenge is meal planning. I'm a single mom and I don't get home until 7pm. If I don't have something in the crock pot or left overs from the day before I find myself making that trip to McDonalds or phone call for pizza. You can waste alot of money by not planning your meals. Trust me, I know.

**ladykemma2** · 08-05-2009, 09:44 AM

everything amy boz said.

i don't make myself crazy running all over town for loss leaders or couponing, i have 2 hours every other sunday to shop for everything this house needs. i plan meals, shop with a list and calculator to keep a running total.

i do intentional leftovers for lunch the next day and pack it up while cleaning the kitchen after cooking. i use the crockpot a lot.

i take care of my shoes, repair, resole, polish. the cobbler is your friend. i buy high quality shoes, no junk.

i never buy anything that has to be dry cleaned. mend, re-dye, sew.

**brenda67** · 08-05-2009, 09:49 AM

My biggest frugal tip has been mentioned and that is making our (dh & I) lunches for the next day...that is such a money saver in it's self..I also have the coffee pot ready to go along with the cup..sugar bowl and spoon sitting next to the pot..

I have to work every other weekend so I make 2 to 3 meals ahead of time on my weekend to work so when I get home I don't have to do anything but warm it up..that also saved us at least $100.00 or more a month from not buying takeout..HTH...

Congratulations on your new job!

**rsbs** · 08-05-2009, 11:06 AM

Alot of my tips have already been mentioned, but my biggest time & money saver is to have a routine!
Seriously, if you are used to packing up leftovers right after dinner, to take for lunch the next day, you are less likely to forget about doing it. If you are used to setting off the dishwasher, or washingmachine before leaving for work, you won't forget. If your kids are used to a routine, they are less likely to test boundaries, cry for treats, or throw a tantrum that might confuse you, or cause you to forget what you are doing!
I also do my clothes shopping (when necessary) or other errands, during my lunch - while I'm in town. Find thrift stores near-by & if possible, find a co-worker that also likes to check them out - it's more fun with a friend! I do my grocery shopping in the early morning hours, on my way to work, & store them in the company fridge until time to go home. That said, I don't do large shopping trips - I have a small family & we grow alot of our own veggies.
Do trips to the library or kids extra-curriculars right after work, before you get home too. Saves gas & time.

**Julzyann7** · 08-05-2009, 11:41 AM

Don't beat yourself up!

When my DD was 8 weeks old, I went back to work full time. I commute 30 minutes each way, and did I mention I am a part-time student? Between taking care of my DD, DH, the house, groceries, bills, work, school...I was completely exhausted and did NOT feel like taking much time to cook, or pack lunches! We ate a lot of frozen pizza and fast food. But as I got into a routine, it became easier and easier to plan meals, and to find that extra few minutes to pack lunch, whether leftovers or something simple like sandwiches. I have gotten into a routine, and now it's not an option, it's a requirement. There isn't a thought of whether we are going to go out to eat that night, or the next day for lunch. All three meals are eaten at/from home and that is the biggest money saver for us!
Just don't feel bad, you will get into a routine soon enough!

**GenB** · 08-05-2009, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by ladykemma2

everything amy boz said.

i don't make myself crazy running all over town for loss leaders or couponing, i have 2 hours every other sunday to shop for everything this house needs. i plan meals, shop with a list and calculator to keep a running total.

i do intentional leftovers for lunch the next day and pack it up while cleaning the kitchen after cooking. i use the crockpot a lot.

i take care of my shoes, repair, resole, polish. the cobbler is your friend. i buy high quality shoes, no junk.

i never buy anything that has to be dry cleaned. mend, re-dye, sew.

I agree with this one - I will glance at what's on sale in our Wed. paper and if one store has something I want, I'll go stock up but otherwise I find I save almost as much by purchasing the 2fers at our local Publix or buying store brands. This saves me a lot of time and gas.

I also commute to work most days on my bike. This isn't possible for alot of people but I am fortunate enough to live 3 miles from my office. I did invest in a good bike and I'm really trying to see how long my car can sit in the driveway.

I buy my work clothes at a consigment shop for next to nothing. I'm lucky to work in a place where most people are in uniforms and I'm out of the public eye for the most part so I don't have to be dressed to the nines. Simple skirts and nice t shirt tops work well and can be picked up for a song at our local consignment store.

TAKE MY LUNCH! I always try to have something in the fridge that DH and I can pack -either leftovers or something I made at the beginning of the week (gazpacho, etc.)

**joyofsix** · 08-05-2009, 04:50 PM

Everyone has given you great tips. I worked until my #6 was born. Some things that helped.

~I made loaves of sandwiches and pre-bagged veggies/chips/crackers so making kids lunches the night before was their job.
~Had a weeks worth of clothes put aside for the littler ones so no problems getting dressed fast. I even (when they were preschoolers) bathed them and let them sleep in the sweats they would wear the next day.
~I pre-cooked ground beef/chicken/casseroles on the weekend so I could either throw it in the micro or crock pot.
~I kept some cups of ramen, snacks, tea bags, etc at work so I wasn't tempted to snack. I also kept the car stocked with granola, fruit, cheese sticks, water so I could pick the kids up and go somewhere else or grab something for myself rather than stop.
~Did errands on my lunch time. I ate a sandwich or something as I did them.
~Did laundry at night as I slept then dried it when I got home and started another load.
~Asked for help. Enlisted dh and kids when I needed them.
~Reduced activities so we weren't spending the evenings running around crazy. This was easier because my kids were younger then. I also had us nearly give up TV. Just no time if meals/bathing/homework/bedtime stories were going to get done.