New as well!

**altbaby** · 08-27-2007, 06:01 PM

I am here for all the awesome tips!

I am really working on getting my grocery bill down. I am amazed at how little everyone here spends a month! I won't say how much my bill is usually cause it is really embarrassing. since finding this site, I have been making all my own bread products (My machine was just sitting there) as well as really focussing on meal planning and shopping smarty. i also make a huge batch of chicken stock last night with just the ends of carrots/celery/onion as well as some chicken bones. Talk about free food! I love the tip on the produce trying to only buy the fruits and veggies that are $1 or less a pound. I never really looked at the prices before (don't yell at me, I know I was bad!).

i have been hanging all our laundry as well ( use to do this but stopped). And our AC is not so high. I actually had a weeks worth of no AC last month and that saved us atleast $50. We live in Texas so it gets really hot here.

My next goal is to sell all the items around here that we don't use. I have 3 kiddos so the stuff really piles up.

Speaking of kiddos, I didn't buy hardly any clothes for school this year. I am so tempted to just go out and buy all those cute things but I didn't this year. Most of their shirts still fit and they really only needed a few pair of pants. So, I found a couple pair of jeans at a garage sale, Ross and at Goodwill.

I am also laying off the afterschool stuff. I mean, why do they need to take all these extra classes? I don't see them most of the day anyway, they can just come home and relax instead of me driving somewhere else and spending more money. Is Kung fu really worth $90 a month per kid? Not in my opinion.

anyway, I am looking forward to saving money and finding new ways to do so.

Thanks for this awesome community! Jennifer

**sdrjeolsen** · 08-27-2007, 06:14 PM

hey Jennifer, looks like you are making some really good changes to your spending habits! WTG!! You will be amazed at how much you will be saving on groceries and such in just a matter of months! There are tons of great tips on here. The gals here are so helpful and kind. You'll enjoy it here...but beware, its addictive

**Neeley** · 08-27-2007, 06:20 PM

**Darlene** · 08-27-2007, 08:30 PM

What a wonderful avatar Jennifer! Welcome to the Village, looking forward to getting to know you better.

PS, loving the cutting back on after school activities, I'm one of those who thinks it's nicer to have more family time. My kids, now grown, were some of the few who weren't running here & there and somehow made it through & are "well rounded".