So how do you curb spending in your household?

[BabbyO]

I need to save $$$ to cover my unpaid leave when #2 is born. I think I've figured out how to save about 1/2 of what I need...but that still leave a big gap.

We already
-rarely eat out, pack lunches, and make most of our food from scratch
-clip coupons
-try to consolidate trips (no public transport available and no responses on carpooling)
-use generics for most anything we can including diapers/wipes
-try to minimize cell phone/cable bills
-don't use services (lawn, cleaning, etc)
-get hand-me-downs for clothing
-buy in bulk when we can
-both cars are paid off (though need repairs)

What are some things I'm not thinking of? Everytime I read those "10 ways to reduce Expenses" - type articles I'm doing 9 of the 10 and the 10th item is not available in my area (ie: public transport)

[brittone2]

You probably already do these, but 2 big ones for me are:

staying home/no recreational shopping. I try not to run to Target just for something to do because that inevitably means I leave target with $50 of stuff I didn't know I needed. We go out and about but I try not to shop out of boredom.

If you toss any substantial amount of food (goes bad before you can cook it, unused leftovers), that's money that can easily be saved.

It sounds like you are already doing a lot.

[BabbyO]

You probably already do these, but 2 big ones for me are:

staying home/no recreational shopping. I try not to run to Target just for something to do because that inevitably means I leave target with $50 of stuff I didn't know I needed. We go out and about but I try not to shop out of boredom.

If you toss any substantial amount of food (goes bad before you can cook it, unused leftovers), that's money that can easily be saved.

It sounds like you are already doing a lot.

Well, with my work schedule and DS I rarely get to do the recreational shopping...but that was a big one for me in the past.

Usually we're pretty good about things. We sorta plan meals counting in the leftovers. So we generally only cook 2-3 times per week and leftovers are the rest of the meals. We do loose things occasionally, so that could be a way.

We probably should look at using our pantry items a bit more. It could use a good cleaning out.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Do a clothing swap with friends for new stuff for you.

[wendibird22]

If I HAD to find money in my budget I'd cut my cell phone down to just calls only (no texting, no data plan) and actually I'd probably switch to a pay as you go plan. I figure I survived before cell phones, I can survive again with only having it for emergencies. I'd also cancel cable and DVR service. I'd probably purchase many more generic brands of things (I'm loyal to Jif for example). We'd cut back on coffee (we home brew but don't buy the cheapest grounds). I'd look at the deductible on my homeowners and auto insurance and see if I could get a higher deductible for less monthly cost. I'd also look into buying large quantities of meat from a local farm. Around here it is not hard to find a place to buy 1/2 cow, a whole pig, etc. Such a great value if you have a deep freezer. Oh, and we garden a great deal of our produce which is a big $ saver.

[DebbieJ]

Make a budget and stick to it. The sure fire way for me to stick to the budget is to use cash envelopes. That's what works for me.

[TwinFoxes]

I would cancel cable if I had to cut a big chunk. If you don't use a cell phone much, I'd look into the re-loadable pay as you go kind.

I do think there is a point where you just can't cut more, it sounds like you're getting close.

[sste]

Can you work more - - not sure what your situation is with pregnancy or other DC? Sometimes, dh or I will freelance for a little extra money.

I agree with Brittone about food waste.

I also reshop my car/house/other insurance periodically and usually shave a few dollars.

Can your household survive financially if you direct deposit your whole paycheck into an ing savings account? This would give you the benefit of not only saving but ascertaining whether your family can get by without your income.

Good luck!

[justlearning]

Do you keep track of your spending? If not, I'd recommend doing that so you know how you're spending every cent.

Assuming that you're already doing that, what have you spent money on the last few months besides gas, groceries, house payment, medical insurance, and utilities?

You said that you do spend money on a cell phone and cable, and as others have said, you could eliminate that if possible. We actually went for months not having any cable or internet, and I went to the library whenever I needed to check email. DH and I have also never paid for anything but a basic cell phone service--we've never sent a text or had any data plan. So it's possible to live that way.

But how else are you spending money? If the only other expenditures are the necessities, then you won't be able to cut them out. A PP suggested looking into increasing your insurance deductible to lower your monthly costs, but personally I wouldn't suggest that. We do carry high deductibles but we also have money saved up and could afford those high deductibles if the need arose. If you already don't have enough money stashed away, that could create a bigger problem for you if something happened. The monthly savings wouldn't be worth it IMO.

But if you do spend any money on entertainment of any kind, then of course you can eliminate that by staying home, checking out a movie from the library, or doing any number of free activities in your area. You can socialize with friends by playing card games at home and having cheap snacks instead of going out to eat with them or providing dinner when they come over.

If you spend more than $12 on a haircut, you could start going to Great Clips or similar salon and save money there. If you spend any money getting your hair colored, you can do it yourself for $8 (as I've always done). Of course, avoid any luxuries like coffee, mani/pedis, or anything else not needed.

If you spend money on any kids' activities, you could stop those and have them engage in free activities. If you're buying any needed furniture or gear for the baby, always buy from craigslist or moms' sales instead of new or better yet try to borrow it.

We do live quite frugally so my friends are always surprised at how little we spend. But if you're already living this way, though, then you're right--you may not be able to reduce your expenses much further. But if you post on here your answer to my initial question--what you've spent money on the past few months other than necessities--then I'd be happy to help you brainstorm some ways to further reduce your expenses if possible.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

we recently saved a ton of money just by canceling cable. now we just have an antenna and use Netflix/Hulu and that works way better for us and is also much cheaper

i also agree with justlearning, it helps to keep track of spending..we use Quicken software to keep track of how much is spent on what (groceries, babysitting, eating out, etc).

[sariana]

I don't know where you live; is planting a garden, even a small one, an option? Maybe in a few months?

You probably already do this, but make sure you are not throwing away money on utility bills. Turn off lights when not in the room. Unplug appliances that are not in use. (Many use power even when turned off.) Do not leave on the TV just for background noise.

If you can handle it, consider flushing your toilet less often. Hold a bucket under the shower while waiting for the water to get hot. Use the bucket of water to flush the toilet the next time. Keep a bowl in the sink when you rinse lettuce or other foods. Use it to water plants (or, again, to flush, if you have a place to store a bucket of water until needed). If your DC take baths, you can scoop the bathwater into a bucket and use it for a toilet, too (but not to water plants).

Make sure you do full loads of laundry to maximize water and energy use.

Evaluate your home to make sure it is as energy efficient as possible. Close blinds or curtains as necessary to keep out cold/hot air. (Or open them to let in the warmth.)

If it's cold, wear more sweaters and turn down the heat. When it gets warm, try to minimize your use of A/C (if you have it). I know that's not easy while pregnant, though.

Make sure your cars' tires are properly inflated, to maximize gas mileage. Learn about driving in a manner that maximizes fuel efficiency. (I had no idea how much of a difference it makes until we got a hybrid which displays our average efficiency. I see a noticeable difference when I am aware of my driving habits and work to improve efficiency.)

[plusbellelavie]

[QUOTE=sariana;3060231]I
Make sure you do full loads of laundry to maximize water and energy use.

Evaluate your home to make sure it is as energy efficient as possible. Close blinds or curtains as necessary to keep out cold/hot air. (Or open them to let in the warmth.)

If it's cold, wear more sweaters and turn down the heat. When it gets warm, try to minimize your use of A/C (if you have it). I know that's not easy while pregnant, though.

QUOTE]

:yeahthat: We recently did this and it has lowered our bill...if you own your house another area is to make sure you have enough insulation under the roof...we apparently are wasting alot energy because it was not properly insulated. We are in the process of having that fixed because we have been told that will save us $$ on our energy bill.

No cable is hard but doable.

Using your library more for books/movies is a great way to save money! A neighbor and I have recently exchanged a couple of children books and some toys.

One way I have lowered my grocery bill is to try to shop only once a week or every 10 days if possible...I have been trying for 2 wks but the fruit and vegetable never seem to last that long and it is just wasting money to throwing them out...it seemed that I spent more each time I just stopped in for one thing or another!

Good luck...

[ett]

I think PPs have suggested just about everything I can think off. The only other idea to add is to see if there's any unused things around the house that you can sell.

[maiaann]

I think you are doing great! I don't have any suggestions, but just wanted to let you know that your post inspired me to think about ways we could cut costs as well. Clothing is my downfall. I don't receive hand-me-downs, and don't mind shopping thrift stores or garage sales, but it still doesn't keep me from splurging on name brands like Boden and Hanna Andersson. "Recreational shopping" is another weakness of mine. I find the checkbook looks much better when I send DH to the store with a list. When I shop, I will often find another $50 in incidentals or "good deals." Must find willpower...

[bostonsmama]

We also cancelled cable recently (although more for accountability in raising DD TV/video-free). With taxes it really does save a lot. I'd die w/out internet, and we save so much w/ online bill-pay, but theoretically we could use the library. You'd just have to figure in gas with driving there and back.

Other ways to save:

keep the house colder (or hotter in the summer) than you prefer--we keep it at 67 day/61 night in winter and 78-80 day/76 night in the summer.

unplug EVERYTHING! 12% of your electric bill is phantom energy--keeping things ready to turn on. We keep our TV, stereo system, computer and such on power strips we turn off whenever not actively being used, and keep toasters/blenders/cell phone chargers, etc unplugged all the time.

Walk places instead of drive. Go grocery shopping 2-3x/month instead of 1-2x/wk. Make a list and stick to it. I forget what % of purchases are impulse buys, but it's like 70%. Combine sales/loss leaders w/ coupons and promos. Keep putting out feelers for carpooling--it saved my DH hundreds per month, and with gas near $4/gal again, it'll be worth it!

I'm a huge Dave Ramsey fan as well. We don't do the envelope system (although we're debt free except for our house--which will be paid off in 3 years), but it's wise advice

ETA--air dry instead of electric/tumble drying laundry! We quit doing this when DD came along b/c I wanted her clothing to be soft, and I was wondering why it seemed like our electricity bill doubled. THAT was it! It's not so bad once you get used to the routine. We would only tumble dry towels (for softness--crunchy towels aren't fun). We also do cloth diapers and line dry them.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Cash. I take out X amount and do the envelope thing- groceries, eating out/ fun and whatever other expenses. It really makes me pay attention to my spending.

Beth

[KrisM]

I find I spend a lot less on groceries if I meal plan and make a list (and stick to it). The meal plan means it's easy to make the list and not just put random food items on it and then go back to the store 2-3 times a week as I need more things for dinner.

[bigpassport]

Have you shopped car insurance to see if another company charges less (for coverage you're comfortable with, of course)?

Also, have you written down all expenditures every day down to the penny for a month? Sometime you will see where money can be saved.

[maestramommy]

There are 3 things that strike me from your list.

-cook from scratch. While this is healthier, there are times when it's actually more expensive, It of course, depends on whether you mind eating occasional processed food. My own example is pizza, which we have every Sunday night. I was making my own, which is much cheaper than ordering out. But not cheaper than buying frozen from the supermarket. I can get a supreme store brand pizza for $5. No way can I make my own supreme pizza for that little.

- coupons. I almost never use coupons actually. Because I find that the brands the coupons redeems are often brands I don't buy because they're more expensive to begin with. Now, I do know people who do uber couponing, which entails online searches. THAT would probably save a lot of money. But just clipping from the Sunday paper wouldn't get me far.

- buying in bulk. We only do this when the savings are significant. Like, the coupon for TP at Costco is savings over buying it at Target. And we don't buy bulk food unless it can be frozen for a long time.

Agree with pp about cable. That saves us a lot each month. We forgo it mainly for that reason. Also, we don't upgrade out electronics for a LONG time. My cell phone, camera, TV and computer are a chuckle to some of my friends. They are OLD. I am finally replacing my 10 year old PC because I'm starting to have some real problems relating to power, but that's it.

Also, if you already have a landline, consider canceling your cell plan and go with prepaid.

[SpaceGal]

I didn't read all the suggestions but I cancelled my cell phone ($40-$45 a month) and went to a prepaid (I spend about $100 for 1000 minutes a year). A huge difference. Cancel cable and netflix...use your library.

[mezzona]

I didn't read all the suggestions but I cancelled my cell phone ($40-$45 a month) and went to a prepaid (I spend about $100 for 1000 minutes a year). A huge difference. Cancel cable and netflix...use your library.

that and I'd sell some stuff, like furniture we don't need, laptops, bags. reduce thermostat, water heater temp. I would contact the phone company and electric/gas and water companies to see if they have any discount programs.

[kijip]

Consider cloth diapers and wipes vs. Disposable.

And in addition to all of the great advice here, consider downgrading your car. Are you driving a $25,000 car when a $5000 one would get you there just the same?

[vonfirmath]

Keep track of every penny you are spending, then look at that and see if there is anything you can cut.

Keeping track is the only way you can identify leaks. It sounds like you've got the obvious stuff taken care of, now you need to see if there is something less obvious going on.

[momm]

nak

research research research!!!! Never run out to the store to buy anything before researching the best price
always look for coupons/ sales before buying anything

i hate to buy anything at full price anymore

[BabbyO]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I really appreciate them...and we will have to take a look at places we can save, cut, etc.

Here are some more detailed explanations about items mentioned...

1. We cook from scratch because we don't have much of a choice. DS has food allergies to dairy and nuts and he's just growing out of a soy allergy. Many pre-packaged foods, while cheaper, can't be eaten in our home because they have ingredients DS can't eat. Even at this, we make an effort to purchase the specialty items we get for DS in the cheapest way possible. For example...he hates rice milk but likes oat milk. We can get rice milk at 1/3 the cost by purchasing by the case at costco. We purchase both and dilute the oat milk with half rice milk. We also purchase the oat milk by the case and recieve a 10% discount for doing that.

2. Coupons...I only use them for brands we use anyway (esp because of DS' allergies). Our local grocery store also often has coupons for the store brand items (which are usually cheaper anyway) and I use them.

3. Meal planning. We typically check out the sales at the grocery store and plan our meals around that. We plan and cook 2-3 meals on Sunday and eat the left overs throughout the week. We not only save time, and money, but we end up wasting less food this way.

4. Cars...they are both paid off. I use the corolla (34 mpg) for my 80/day commute. I've tried, but am not allowed to work from home...even 1 day/wk. DH works from home. He drives DS to the sitter's in the morning.

5. Heat and cable...these items are a bit tricky. DH works from home and his office is in the basement. We can't really turn the heat down during the day like we used to when we both worked out of the house. As it is, we only have it set at 69 during the day (it is lower at night) and he wears a T-shirt, sweater, and usually is wrapped in a blanket most days while he's working.

Cable - well its bundled with our internet and phone (because it was cheaper to have all 3 bundled than to just get the internet and phone needed for DH's work). DH MUST have high speed internet do to the nature of his work. (Cell phones don't get reception in our home an never have). His company used to reimburse more of the internet and phone expenses but due to recent changes we are covering most of it.

Perhaps, it IS worth looking at downgrading and seeing if we can save some $$...but I believe that DH looked at it and due to the nature of the internet/phone needs for work...we are on the cheapest option.

6. Cell phone is the other expenditure where we could potentially cut some costs. My phone is the most basic phone you can find. I NEVER text...I don't do any data stuff, my phone isn't even capable of it. As a matter of fact...my phone doesn't even have a camera. It makes calls. It can text...but as I said, I don't. DH has a smart phone with data plan. He felt it was preferable for him to have this because he does travel occasionally for work and not having a phone that could access his work email etc was putting him in some crappy situations. Unfortunately, his company is SUPER cheap and they won't reimburse ANY of the expenses. I've told him he should cancel the data plan until they reimburse him, but he said the stress it causes in his life is not worth it.

7. We're pretty selective about what we buy in bulk and only do it if it makes sense financially.

We haven't tracked every expenditure lately, but we did about 2 yrs ago before DS was born. We made lots of changes then and have pretty much stuck to them. I also use my credit card for almost all of my expenditures. It quickly graphs where the spending is (card gets paid off in full every month - then at the end of the year I use the cash back to get Christmas gifts). Most of my spending is 1 - walmart/target for household supplies and 2 - Gasoline (I commute 80 mi/day)

I know there's always ways...and we just have to look hard at what we need and what we don't. I didn't mean to make that a long list of excuses...just maybe thinking out loud as much as explaining.

There are other things we can not spend $$ on right now (for example replacement windows)...just trying to find ways to be more frugal.

[AnnieW625]

I do a lot of the same things that everyone else here does, but what I have gotten really good at is price watching at the store, and at warehouse stores. Since I started being really anal about that I feel like I am saving more money as the warehouse store sometimes even though you are buying lots of things in bulk and you think it's a good deal it might almost be equal to buying something at the regular store.

[Binkandabee]

We recently changed our homeowners and car insurance policies to AAA (we were at State Farm). We saved a little bit on the homeowner's policy, but we cut our automobile insurance in half by going with AAA. It's a significant savings for us. It was a PITA to compare the policies and to make sure we were getting equally good (or better coverage in the case of our homeowner's policy) but definitely worth it in the end.

[mommylamb]

It sounds like you're doing an awful lot of the right things. You said your main areas of spending are gas and target/walmart. Obviously, the gas thing just sucks and there isn't much you can do about it other than what you already tried (asking to telework), but are there places where you can cut down at target/walmart? I bet you've already been considering this, so I'm not much help.

I would second a suggestion above though about unplugging electrical items when they're not in use. Things like flat screen TVs are HUGE energy suckers even when off (the tube TVs were much better actually). There might be places where a tube of caulk could help you save some energy costs.

For us, most of our bills are pretty set. But we could probably do more to reduce our grocery bills. We spend a freaking fortune on food it seems. And part of that is that we like wine, so we have alcohol costs (though TJs makes it much more affordable. Love TJs).

[BabbyO]

It sounds like you're doing an awful lot of the right things. You said your main areas of spending are gas and target/walmart. Obviously, the gas thing just sucks and there isn't much you can do about it other than what you already tried (asking to telework), but are there places where you can cut down at target/walmart? I bet you've already been considering this, so I'm not much help.

I would second a suggestion above though about unplugging electrical items when they're not in use. Things like flat screen TVs are HUGE energy suckers even when off (the tube TVs were much better actually). There might be places where a tube of caulk could help you save some energy costs.

For us, most of our bills are pretty set. But we could probably do more to reduce our grocery bills. We spend a freaking fortune on food it seems. And part of that is that we like wine, so we have alcohol costs (though TJs makes it much more affordable. Love TJs).

Hmm...we're pretty good at unplugging things other than Lamps (which are off) the monitor and DH's alarm clock. I didn't know about the TV though. We may have to look into that...

Target/walmart...there are some way we could probably cut there, but most of that stuff is TP, facial tissue and cleaning products, vitamins. Household staples. Although I have decided that I'm am going to make a concerted effort to use the cleaning products that are already in my house. There are several that we've decided we like other brands, etc...so we need to use up what we have. Not a huge fix...but it will save a little.

I also told DH we need to look at trying to clean out the pantry. There are a lot of non-perishables that could get used in the next few months and we should try to do that.

Same thing with the hygiene items. I have a shelf full of shampoo, mouthwash, toothbrushes, sample soaps, etc that haven't been used. I said we're not buying new until these items are used. We've also committed to using only the toothbrushes the dentist gives us. Funny part about that is we have about a dozen identical purple toothbrushes. I had to put first aid tape on one to be able to tell mine and DH's apart! :)

[hbridge]

We recently installed Belkin Conserve Switch with Remotes in our media center (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Switch-F7C01008q-Energy-Saving/dp/B003P2UMNK/ref=sr_1_50?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1299261120&sr=1-50)

Once the power cords are plugged in, there's a remote to use to turn off the system. There are even outlets for things that you want to leave on all the time. With the power that the cable box, DVD player, ect use when they are turned off it's amazing how much we have saved on our electric bill.

[mommylamb]

Hmm...we're pretty good at unplugging things other than Lamps (which are off) the monitor and DH's alarm clock. I didn't know about the TV though. We may have to look into that...


Lamps probably aren't zapping much power. It's those devices that have a red light/dot that is on when the device is off, or things with clocks. though it totally bugs me to unplug them because the clock blinks at you when you plug the device back in again. I honestly wish they wouldn't put clocks in so many devices.

We tend to keep things like the coffee maker, under the cabinet radio/CD player, electric kettle unplugged except when in use. I don't take my own advice about the flat screen TV, and I should because I KNOW that's a huge problem. Flat screen TVs, even the energy star ones, use about 10x the electricity of a tube TV. But, we only have 1 flat screen. So there's my justification.

But, when we go away for any period of time, we unplug everything while we're gone.

[sariana]

Are you a Costco member? Their American Express card gives 3% back on gasoline purchases. If you have to buy that gas anyway, why not get something back for it? It also gives 2% back for travel and dining and 1% for everything else. (I think those are the percentages.)

If you are not a Costco member, you could look for another credit card that has a similar program. If there are certain expenditures you have to make (such as your cell phone), try to put them on a card with cash back rewards. As long as you pay off the balance in full, you win. We started to pay our insurance premiums on a credit card for this reason. (Our CC and insurance actually are with the same company--USAA--so I really just go online and push a couple of buttons to pay the insurance bill with the CC.)

[vonfirmath]

Are you a Costco member? Their American Express card gives 3% back on gasoline purchases. If you have to buy that gas anyway, why not get something back for it? It also gives 2% back for travel and dining and 1% for everything else. (I think those are the percentages.)

You do NOT get 3% back though if you buy your gas at a different grocery-store related gas station (walmart's, Randall's, etc)

And the percentages back go up if you have an Executive membership. We just got our Amer Express check for last year and we are going to use part of it to upgrade to Executive.

[BabbyO]

Are you a Costco member? Their American Express card gives 3% back on gasoline purchases. If you have to buy that gas anyway, why not get something back for it? It also gives 2% back for travel and dining and 1% for everything else. (I think those are the percentages.)

If you are not a Costco member, you could look for another credit card that has a similar program. If there are certain expenditures you have to make (such as your cell phone), try to put them on a card with cash back rewards. As long as you pay off the balance in full, you win. We started to pay our insurance premiums on a credit card for this reason. (Our CC and insurance actually are with the same company--USAA--so I really just go online and push a couple of buttons to pay the insurance bill with the CC.)

I actually have a CC that already does this. Not specifically for gas (because we always go over the max cash you can get back very quickly). My CC gives you cash back on all purchases, then has specials where for a certain period you get a higher percentage at grocery stores, or on travel or whatever. We always try to take advantage of these deals. As I said, every Christmas I'm able to get several gifts with my Cash Back rewards. Last year I got 2 wedding gifts, a birthday gift and a couple Christmas gifts using my "double your bonus" cash back....

[marymoo86]

Cleaning products - you could eliminate these and use greener methods with baking soda, vinegar, etc.

you could save some money out of pocket for toothpaste/hair products etc if you follow any deal blogs for walgreens/rite aid/cvs

i can't remember the last time i actually paid for toothpaste

[kozachka]

You need to track your expenses and figure out what your biggest categories are. Trim those first, then move the next biggest one. If there is no more or not much fat to cut, then you have to look for ways to bring more income. Or look at 'structural' changes such as moving to a smaller place. Also make sure you get all the tax deductions for home office and other expenses.

ETA: Don't know how old your first child is but you mentioned diapers, so I figured I'd mention an unconventional idea - potty training your kid early. DS was in underwear during the day as of 14.5 months and at night as of 16.5. We ECed with DS on and off as of 10 weeks and used much fewer diapers. The reason kids in China, India, Russia and many other countries potty train way, way earlier than in US is cost.

[tiapam]

While you are home could you temporarily reduce the number of days DS goes to the sitter? I know it might not be possible, but no harm in asking.

[ett]

you could save some money out of pocket for toothpaste/hair products etc if you follow any deal blogs for walgreens/rite aid/cvs

i can't remember the last time i actually paid for toothpaste

http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/
Check out this blog. She posts all the sales at different stores and what coupons to use with the coupons on sale.

[Melaine]

There are some great ideas here. The only think I could think of that hasn't been mentioned is switching from disposable feminine hygiene products to reusable ones. I switched to the Diva cup and reusable pads a couple years ago and I'm thrilled to not have that monthly expense. TMI, but I have a heavy and long period and it wasn't unusual for me to spend $12-$15 a month on disposables, so the savings are significant. And that's just a secondary benefit to the first which is that I like it SO much better.

[longtallsally05]

I'm pretty sure nobody mentioned this earlier (I did peruse the previous replies), but how about line-drying your laundry instead of using dryer? You would save on gas/electricity and the sun will get your whites brighter. I swear, my XBF had a washer but no dryer. He had lines hanging over his bathtub to dry his laundry in the winter and a folding drying rack for outside in the summer. I have a clothes line tree in my back yard, and it's pretty handy!