What new frugal ideas will you use in 2012

[shoiji]

Just went through my drawer that I keep my monthly envelopes of receipts. Found envelopes dating back to 2008. Didn't realize I have been doing this to keep track of my spending since then.

Today I paid my bills online. Years ago I had set up automatic payment for the bill but did not like how they deducted payments. Anyway, decided to try the online payment since us postal service will most likely be changing drastically. So far it looks as it everything went though ok.

So for 2012 I plan on paying my bills online. One bill I can pay in person since the office is right around the corner.

Interested in hearing what other people plan on doing to hopefully get more ideas this coming year.

[Cricketlegs]

I've started slipping $100 bills into my drawer(hidden well). I hope to try to do 100 per check @$400 a month along with the also putting savings into the savings accounts in both banks we use.

I'd like to do $400 drawer, $100 Credit Union, $25 Regular savings in bank.

That way I cover the Main EF savings(credit union)
Secondary savings $25 for those pesky extras that pop up that don't meritt disrupting the budget checking account or an emergency to pull funds from the credit union EF aka someones head better be on fire fund!
And the drawer money is what I can use to deal with debts and things as I get closer to getting them paid off etc.

It may not work. I may only get some of it done but I sure do plan to try.

Also, just a tip-- We don't have a checking account at the credit union like we do at the bank. I can move money from savings in 10 seconds and that is why the "big" money is at the credit union.

We have to get in the car, drive, get out, fill out a slip and sign for it. It takes a little effort but it keeps it untouched because it isn't easy.

[hmcart]

we have a lot of new changes because to be honest we really were not being too frugal in the past. The first is not eating out. We will be sticking to a strict grocery budget and as far as there is food in the house this should be fairly easy. Second is more working together on our budget. I have done most of the bill paying and will still do alot but dh needs to see where the money is going. That way whne he can see the progress he can see it isnt all for nothing.

[heartofmine]

Mine is a little different I guess. We are building a new house and should have it done within the next 2/3 months. Where we are now we only have 1 acre and the soil is not good for gardening and we've never been able to grow much of anything. The new place is 33 acres with good soil and lots of room for gardening so I am hoping to be able to put out a garden this year, can and freeze what we can. Also planning on getting chickens. Hope to buy at least half a beef and maybe a hog for the freezer too which will help the grocery budget.

My daughter is now finished with college so hopefully she'll be working when she finds a job which will help our budget too. She'll be able to contribute. Between her and my son helping things should be easier.

[Sophiasmama]

I'm going to challenge myself to my homemade everything...bread,crackers,soft taco shells,etc...and only eating out once a month...as a treat, like people used to do it. Sophie and I made granola today...tastes way better than store bought.

[leighcat]

I am going to try to make more things from scratch and eat more at home and less out. I will try to bring a drink and snack or lunch from home on outings. I have a lot of clothing so hopefully I can go without buying any clothes this year for myself. I also should have enough shoes. I need to save money this year. I have been buying way too many things I don't need and that has to stop. I have a lot of stuff here and I really don't need anything right now. I am going to use the library more this year and find more free entertainment.

[bunnys]

Heartofmine: Why don't you just put in the garden on your new 33 acres even if the house isn't done yet?

Buy a whole hog or half a cow? How much would something like that cost, anyway? Where would you get it? Who would butcher it? How much meat would you get out of it? Just curious...

[mauimagic]

Love the common sense solid ideas here!!

Shoes are a biggie in my budget - last year I found some good sales on the ECCO sandals that work best for me, so I think I am set for this year also.

DH needs some new clothing, but not much. I'm set - and have lots of fabric should I need anything.

Food is a huge expense here. We are budgeting $100 weekly - truly challening, and I plan on making it work.

DH's income is inconsistent at best and since he has been taking care of his DM since her latest stroke in October we have been ambushed by necessary airfare to get him from our island to hers. DD just finished her masters and will be staying with DMIL to help take care of her while also studying for her exams.

DH will be home Thursday and I plan on having a rough budget for us to discuss this weekend. For some reason, I feel pretty confident about this year.

[oheoh's momma]

I really would like to bring my gas and electric bill down. Planning on getting hubby to teach me how to build and maintain a fire.
Also I am planning on doing more fresh vegetables this spring in my small garden.
The goal is for us to start a small emergency fund not a lot 500 for the year. This being a small amount of money hoping that it will start a seed with hubby 20 bucks a week.
STOCKPILE food, hygiene, health, beauty, cleaning, pets and paper products.. Ours was small but it really benefited us...
Look for our needs clothing on clerance and yard sale. Right now I am shoe poor and bra poor.. making due and looking for winter shoes on the clerance rack .
Making lists for what we need and caring it my large purse. COUPONS.....

[heartofmine]

Heartofmine: Why don't you just put in the garden on your new 33 acres even if the house isn't done yet?

Buy a whole hog or half a cow? How much would something like that cost, anyway? Where would you get it? Who would butcher it? How much meat would you get out of it? Just curious...

The house is close to being done now. Hard wood floors are ready to go down in the next week or 2. We started it in March 2011. We had a lot of rain that slowed the building down. We did consider putting a garden out last year but we live 15 miles from where we are building and there are lots of deer and other wildlife around along with a few of the human kind so we knew we couldn't watch after things.

I live in the country so there are always farmers with beef and hogs to sale for meat. I don't know what they are going for right now because I haven't looked into it yet but I do know its cheaper than the grocery stores. The beef we may go in with someone else and buy a whole one and then divide it. As for the hog we are considering getting one to fatten up ourselves for the meat or may again go in with someone. There are places around that will butcher them and package. My brother has raised several hogs in recent years and had them butchered. My parents raised hogs and chickens when I was growing up and they butchered them themselves.

All this is in the planning stage for when we get moved in. Hoping that will be in the next 2/3 months that way we can be sort of settled in by spring when we can put out a garden.

[gottadance]

Yes - definitely need to eat out less here - bf wants to eat out a lot and I always have to rein him in. Need to make more stuff homemade - pancake mix, seasonings, etc. I have not been super frugal lately, so overall just need to get back to saving money instead of spending on misc stuff I want. I'm very "green" and organic products are expensive, but important to me. I do belong to a CSA. I guess I could make some homemade laundry soap. I look forward to seeing a lot of ideas!

[karone]

I am going to talk to dh about after we move out of my mom's place later today (don't know when we will move out but we are hoping soon).
I want to try and go through all our clothes to see what fits and doesn't fit. Hopefully we can get down to 7 of each category.
Get our coupon binder up and running. Get our shopping list printed out (I have been slowly making our own shopping list).
Get some seeds together to start a garden for wherever we move.
Make everything from scratch and not eat out.
Look for more freebies to stockpile (mainly non food stuff).

[AspiringToBeFrugal]

We're working too on not eating out as much--I'm trying to limit us to 1 time per week. Our menu plan will help this and I've got our meals planned out for the next two weeks!

I'm also trying to do everything I can to bring down our gas/elec. bill. We're on the annual budget billing plan so our rates will be adjusted in October. They went down this past Oct. and I'm hoping they'll be reduced again in Oct. 2012! This means unplugging things, keeping lights off during the day, etc.

Otherwise, I'm working on implementing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University principles in our lives, creating/sticking to a budget, working to make as much as possible from scratch, limiting our grocery budget and keeping strict track of these expenditures, etc.

[frugal is fun]

I'm not sure what else I'm going to do other than bank my raise once it hits my paycheck. I have been trying to build my EF since I started on FV so many years ago and its still on my list of things to do.

My "allowance" is extremely tight as it is. I need to make my allowance work no matter what comes up and I am so tired of not having the money I want in the bank. Each purchase will be a "do I need this or do I want this and if the answer is a need can I get the same results with something less expensive or some other way.

Keeping to my allowance is the only way my long term goals will be met.

[ilovechocolate]

~~~sell stuff (I have a lot of items from my parents---books, antiques, collectibles)
~~~make laundry detergent
~~~monitor electric/natural gas usage
~~~eat less!!
~~~eat from pantry and freezer this month
~~~talk to insurance agent about saving $$$ on car and house insurance
~~~get taxes done ASAP