How do you cut expenses?

[trcy]

So DH lost his job last week and jobs are not easy to come by. I have examined our expenses and am not sure where we can save. Things were very tight before so I am not sure how we are going to make it. Please share any tricks you have for making a dollar go a little farther. TIA!

[elbenn]

Well, this is probably obvious, but look closely at your entertainment expenses. Eating out, takeout, cable, movies, etc. Are you already on a tight food budget? There are many threads on this board about cutting grocery expenses (joining a co-op, buying bulk items instead of packaged items, using more beans, etc).

ETA: Here is a thread that you might want to read. http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=392609&highlight=food+expenses+cutting

[chozen]

we have a big garden and it really saved us alot of money! so if you have any space even for a small garden it could really help.

[ABO Mama]

Do you have cell phones? Drop them.

[o_mom]

If you are a SAHM and have kids in preschool, cut that.

If you are WAH/WOH, cut your daycare back as much as possible while still leaving your DH some childfree time to job hunt.

Cut your cell phones back to the lowest plan possible, even if that means reactivating an old phone to dump a data plan. I don't think I would cut them completely as they can be needed in a job hunt and it may cost you 6-9 months worth of service to terminate, but certainly lower them as much as you can without extending your contract.

Cut your cable - if possible, completely and rent a RedBox once a week or get the lowest NetFlix plan.

Meal plan and eliminate all eating out, even if it means packing lunch for everyone if you will be out running errands.

[DietCokeLover]

Make your own laundry detergent

Unplug unnecessary plugs/ appliances etc

Shop around for cheaper car insurance

Do all your errands in one day to cut down on gas costs

Coupons

Switch to off brand groceries, etc where possible

Sell things - kids outgrown clothes, toys on craigslist, consignment or eBay or yard sale

[HIU8]

We have already cut:

yard service (we now do it ourselves)
90% of our dry cleaning
grocery (I clip coupons and only buy on sale)
If we have to we are cutting cable (not there yet, but you never know)
We cut eating out by over 1/2
Cut my cell service to bare minimum (DH's is paid by employer)
Our date night is now once very 2-3 months
we buy almost all the kids clothes second hand (except socks, underwear and shoes)
We also stopped using ANY credit cards (if we don't have the $ we don't get it)

[waitingforgrace]

If you need a gift - bake or re-gift something you already have
Don't buy new clothes unless you really need to
Reduce cell phone, interent and cable plans - obviously some things you must keep so DH can job hunt but it never hurts to to call and ask if a better price is available. It never hurts to ask for a better price
Eliminate netflix, if you like movies just use redbox or blockbuster express and return them within the 24 hr period, there are often free 1 night rental codes available too.
If you are carrying any credit card balances, call and ask for a lower interest rate.
Eliminate non essential expenses such as yard services, cleaning services, etc.
Lower your gas expense by consolidating trips.
Don't eat out.
If you have a regular date night, make it a date night staying in. Put DC in bed and cook with DH instead of hiring a sitter and going out to eat.
Look at what you spend on food. You can probably find some areas to cut back on treats and watch your waste of food. For instance, if your family doesn't eat leftovers then don't make more than you'll eat at that meal.
Don't use dryer sheets or fabric softener - they're unnecessary.
Lower your water bill by making sure the dishwasher is full when you run it, you do full loads of laundry, turn off water while brushing teeth, etc. Same idea, but wash your clothes on cold, they'll still get clean I promise. You can also turn your water heater down a few degrees.
Turn off and unplug appliances when not using them.
Depending on your climate, open blinds and curtains to let the heat in or keep them closed to keep it out.
Don't take your car to a car wash, do it by hand. You don't need special car wash liquid either, dish soap works just great.
Don't pay for an oil change, do it at home. If you or DH don't know how to do it, have him ask his friends I'm sure some of them know how and can show him, it's pretty easy.

[MamaSnoo]

This seems obvious, but I would write down every expense in painful detail for 1-2 weeks. Then examine and see how it fits your new situation and your priorities. You should be able to find some stuff to cut.

GL to your DH in his job hunt! :hug:

[goldenpig]

Hi trcy-so sorry about your husband losing his job. That is so tough. I hope he finds something new/better soon! I agree with all of the excellent suggestions listed above for cutting expenses. Also, are you working? Any way to increase your income (like increasing your hours) or for either of you to pick up additional income from babysitting, dog walking, or other part-time work, until he finds a new job?


ETA: Here is a thread that you might want to read. http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=392609&highlight=food+expenses+cutting

That was my thread that I posted, and I got a lot of other great suggestions. I just posted an update here on what I've been doing over the last month:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3127175&postcount=43
Hope that helps! Good luck.

[alexmommy]

Good ideas from pp. For date night we get a movie from the library, make our own popcorn and snack food and watch the movie in bed. (After DS is asleep.) Not exciting, but at the end of a day I'm often too tired to want to go out somewhere anyway. Also, when DS needs clothes, I head to one of our local thrift stores--some of them have 1/2 off days, and get there early while the pickings are good. Or, is anyone you can swap/borrow baby clothes with? Also for food, try going vegetarian or vegan once in awhile--beans are much cheaper than meat, especially if you use dried beans and put them in a crockpot. I also make my own bread. For birthdays, if your family is the asking type, ask for practical things or gift cards. To get some income, could you do some baby-sitting on the side? Also for food, we rarely buy dessert or junk food and never buy soda. :hug: to you, hopefully your DH will land a job soon.

[elbenn]

Here is a thread on alternative grocery shopping that has some good tips:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=391895&highlight=alternative+grocery

[ashleybama24]

Also check to make sure you have the lowest rate available for your electricity. Close drapes when you leave the house and turn the air off when you are not home.

Cut services like house keeper, yard service, magazines, home security, pest control and even the automatically renewing antivirus software that gets me every year!

Reduce your Internet speed to reduce your rate, cut cable...get an antenna and free basic cable!

Hang clothes to dry (or heavy items loke towels and rugs at a minimum) and only use the dryer to fluff up.

Use vinegar and water instead of expensive cleaning products.

Start meal planning...you will save time and money by not making last minute trips to the store or out to eat.

See if you can pay off any debt like student loans or car notes (my DH sold some stock to pay off his student loan) so those extra money can help you through this tough time.

[brittone2]

Here are the ones I find most helpful for us:
-shop for kid clothes 2nd hand (I aim for 75% or so 2nd hand and then 25% new. This is getting harder with pants now that DS1 is 7, but it is still very easy with DD and DS2). I was at a community yard sale today and paid about 25-50 cents per item, which is far cheaper than the thrift store, and I was very picky about condition, etc. This included lots of name brand items (baby gap, etc.)

-minimize food waste. I don't buy a lot of things that are eligible for coupons, so IMO the best way to save is to minimize waste. I bulk cook a lot and try to stack ingredients. I try to buy things that have overlapping ingredients so I can make a few meals out of the same few items so I'm not wasting a half a jar of this and a 1/4 jar of that. We cook mostly from scratch. I spend a good amount on food but we also eat most meals at home; DH packs lunch (usually leftovers) and we go out to eat 1x every 1-2 weeks (not even a weekly thing). I keep a few convenience items on hand and try to save them for nights when the urge would be to go out, simply because the day has been hectic or I didn't plan well for dinner. Those items for us are things like frozen meatballs, the nitrate/nitrite free sausage from WFs or costco, etc. In a pinch I'll have DH pick up a rotisserie chicken and salad on the way home. Way cheaper to have a $10 convenience food dinner than go out to the tune of $40 for a mediocre meal that we thought we "needed" because it was a busy day or I didn't plan well (nothing thawed, etc.)

-avoid recreational shopping (running to Target all of the time, etc.) and look for free/low cost entertainment. Today in my neighborhood there was a free children's theatre production based on Wind in the Willows. We hit the parks during nice weather. DH and I will make ourselves coffee and take it to the park and walk around with the kids.

-no cable. We have a digital converter box and use hulu a lot.

-We use our library to rent movies and for free entertainment. Our library also hosts free kid classes (music, etc.) vs. going to something like gymboree.

-We homeschool, so no preschool costs here. You can always sign up for parks and rec classes, library classes (ours has a good variety of programs), etc. if you are concerned about your child learning social skills and listening to a teacher, etc.

-we cloth diaper (can be frugal or not depending on circumstances). We make most of our own cleaning products (baking soda, vinegar, castille soap will take care of 90 percent of our needs)

[ashleybama24]

If you are easily tempted remove yourself from the daily emails from websites offering sales or special deals. I do watch groupon or living social for inexpensive date ideas...two for one movie tickets or passes to places like museums. Also try and take advantage of free events - museums, concerts, festivals, etc to still have some fun!

[BarbieSmith]

rice and beans a few nights a week, seriously!!!

[purpleeyes]

Operate on a cash only system. After looking over your expenses, decide what you can live on each week-take that amount out of the bank each week and ONLY use that for everything-groceries, target, starbucks, whatever. (except gas. It's too much of a PITA to take cash into the 'store' with the kids in the car. BUT, i do factor a weekly gas amount into my budget)
Then, when your $ runs out, that's it! ;) It has really worked for me.

[eh613c]

Well, this is probably obvious, but look closely at your entertainment expenses. Eating out, takeout, cable, movies, etc. Are you already on a tight food budget? There are many threads on this board about cutting grocery expenses (joining a co-op, buying bulk items instead of packaged items, using more beans, etc).

ETA: Here is a thread that you might want to read. http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=392609&highlight=food+expenses+cutting

:yeahthat: Another PP suggested dropping your cell phones. If you can't do that, you should just get pay as you go cell phones and use it in an emergency only. You can cut out cable and borrow DVDs from your local library (it's free). As for food, we have at least one vegetarian meal a week. I tend to buy whole chicken and cut it myself (or you can have the butcher cut it for you) It's cheaper that way compared to boneless, skinless chicken breast. I check what's on sale at my local grocery stores. If certain cuts of meat are on sale, I buy a couple of packages and put them in the freezer.