Frugal Village Forums banner

Where I've cut spending (and where I need to cut more)

2K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  Lisahas2cats 
#1 ·
Just thinking out loud...if anyone wants to chime in with BTDT experience I'd welcome it!

I started taking a harder look at our spending a few months ago, and as a result have realized the following savings:

Cut the cord on Directv: We were spending almost $90 a month. I did the math on paying the early term fee versus staying with them for 9 more months to fulfill the contract. Paying the early term fee paid for items in less than 2 months of not having a satellite bill. We now have Netflix for $8, bought a Roku box, and got an antenna to watch local channels. Savings = app $82 a month.

Got rid of Verizon: We were paying between $120 and $140 a month for 4 "dumb" phones. After researching the options long and hard, I found Ting mobile (non-contract company using Sprint towers, run by the folks at Tucows). With them, for 4 phones (including me getting a used smart phone that is helpful for work), our monthly bill will be between $50 and $60. Savings = app $60 a month.

Our other monthly expenses are pretty well fixed. Mortgage, power, water, and phone/internet (need for work). Power, I'm always looking to push the numbers down, but I don't see any dramatic fixes like with the satellite and cell savings.

In tracking my spending for months, one of our biggest other money drains is eating out. We don't eat dinner out often at all (like maybe every 6 months), but stopping for fast food for lunch, or me grabbing lunch while I'm on the road for work adds up. DH and I are moving to each having a cash allowance for eating out, and that seems to help.

Trips to the grocery store and Walmart........definitely a big, bad area to fix. I lose all (well, *most*) self control in both these places. Even with a list, I still do very poorly and spend way too much. However, it's better that I go than sending DH (I'll spend $80-100 a trip, he'll spend close to double that).

Tracking the spending has helped me the most.

Okay, I'm finished thinking out loud....thanks! :D
 
See less See more
#3 ·
I hate considering my mortgage and utilities "fixed".

Our house is all electric (yes, including the furnace - ouch!) When I did something as simple as turning off the furnace first thing in the morning and not turning it back on until dinnertime (the house is very well insulated - it never really got that cold inside) saved us almost $100 in the first month.

If my homeowner's insurance premium gets reduced, the amount the mortgage company takes for my escrow goes down. If I fight the assessment that is the basis for my property tax, then I pay less in escrow, too.

Always look for ways to lower taxes that are paid, especially income taxes, and have more money appear in each paycheck.

I agree that it is important to recognize that anytime you grab food away from home, you're "eating out". I've had people tell me that they NEVER eat out then they think nothing of stopping at Starbucks or getting their kid a happy meal at McD's. Well, they think "eating out" means getting dressed up and eating at a table with white cloth napkins. Wrong! I've even had to break myself of the habit of grabbing something at the grocery store to eat right then (a deli salad, a bottled iced tea) and not considering that as "eating out". Just because I can combine the meal on my grocery bill at the cash register, that doesn't mean I'm not eating out.
 
#4 ·
We have 4 phone contracts with verizon also- dd22 and ds24 have smart phones. ds pays his part of the bill. As the contracts end we are dropping from verizon to less expensive options. ds and dd will than need to get there own contracts. Actually I have been without a phone for the past month because dh's broke . I gave him mine because he was unwilling to go without and I do not want to buy another verizon phone. My contract ends in August.
Cable bundle contract done July 1. Would love to drop it and go with netflix only but dh not on board with this (loves all his sporting events). And I want to keep internet services.
 
#6 ·
One thing I have started doing when shopping, is to stop befor going to he checkout. I look through the cart and decide if I really need something. I have put quite a bit back before and saved a lot too.

I also have a soda addiction. I keep soda at home and this has kept me from stopping on the way home. Saves about $5-7/week.

I don't turn the heat very high. I'll put on a sweater and use a blanket first. Then I'll heat up a rice bag. If I can't get rid of the chill, I'll turn it up a couple of degrees for an hour or so, then turn it back down. We got new windows and new hvac over the past two years and it has helped a lot.

I try to plan my meals using the loss leaders and keep the pantry stocked. This has saved lots over th e years. Now to find a way to cut the pet costs. We spend more on them than the humans.
 
#7 ·
It is always good to think out loud - helps us all.
We are even more conscious of unplugging power strips whenever possible.

Now that I am back to cooking, I am trying out new recipes - cooking in smaller batches in the toaster oven.

I love crafting and make presents year round. I am going to start using some baby yarn that my DMIL gave me to make some baby blankets - lots of friends having babies. Once I get some stock finifhed, I also want to replenish my baby quilt supply.
 
#8 ·
Tracking my spending really helped me see how much money I was needlessly spending. It was definately an eye opener how much could be spent. I still track my spending to make sure I stay on budget. Basically I have x amount each month to spend on the little extras that I may need or want. But once that amount is gone then I need to wait until next month to make a purchase. Usually by then I do not remember what I was going to purchase.

Sounds as if you are getting serious about how you spend your money. After a while you will find it very empowering knowing you money is being used wisely.
 
#9 ·
I wholeheartedly agree the first step in getting smart with your money is to know where it goes. Great job! :clap:

I track almost every penny. I exclude my $10 weekly allowance.
Works for me.

I like your savings you got by cutting back. I cancelled cable and saved 100/month I still have Internet.
I cancelled the gym. Saved $20 month
cancelled all dinners out. Being my own lunch. Saving me tons.
Stopped getting coffee. Saving lots there too.
 
#10 ·
I think living so far "out in the sticks" helps with some of the impulse purchases (the nearest anything is a Dollar General, and we have to make a trip off the mountain to get there).

Took my lunch to work today. Since we're only in the office once a week, I usually grab drive-thru somewhere after team meeting. I was just as happy with my PBJ :D

I have to admit that today I'm feeling very tempted by our local phone company's new fiber optic internet and cable bundle offer. For $20 more per month than we're paying right now for home phone and internet (1.5 mb down, 512 kb up.....in theory), we could have 10 mbps internet and a large cable package. It is not an introductory offer, either. If we could get just the internet I'd be all over it, I'm afraid!

I'm going to do some meal planning for the week tonight, and shop accordingly. When I'm a little more on top of it, I'll flip it around and meal plan around the sales. As I'm baby-stepping, I don't want to frustrate myself too much.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys :D
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top