Thrifty Thursday

As a keeper at home, I consider it part of my "job description" to find ways to be good stewards of what we are given- to live as frugally as we can. I'm always trying to think of more ways to save here and there, but in the past few days, Mike and I have decided to create a budget, so I'm especially thinking of ways to cut back now.

Here are some things we've already been doing--

• Use cloth diapers as much as possible (we usually just use disposables when we go out and at night because the cloths can't handle all-night)
  
• Make homemade baby food (I go through phases with this)
• Sell things on EBay, Craig's List and Amazon (and buy things here too, at much cheaper prices)
• We like to go out to eat on an occasional Sunday afternoon or special occasion, but eating homemade meals the rest of the time saves a lot of money. And it's healthier.
  
• Grow a vegetable garden. This is our first year, so we'll see how much it actually yields. We'll be more ambitious next year.
• Take showers instead of baths. We usually give the kids a bath every 3 nights or so, unless they've gotten especially dirty during the day.ake showers instead of baths. We usually give the kids a bath every 3 nights or so, unless they've gotten especially dirty during the day.
• We recently traded in our big company cell phone plan for Tracfones. Instead of paying almost $75 a month on minutes we don't come close to using, we'll now pay a minimum of $7 per month. And we'll come as close as we can to that, as we've only been using the Tracfones for emergencies or quick conversations while running errands/etc.
• Drive conservatively. I'm amazed by the drivers around me who accelerate to stop. In general, it seems people use the gas and break way to much. I was lucky that my dad, who may be the most conservative driver I know, taught me to drive, and it's just something I've gotten used to.
  
• Turn the lights (or music, tv, computer, whatever) off when we're not in the room- heck, sometimes, we just use candlelight. We're not living in a model home.
• If we have to make a purchase other than groceries (checks, glasses, contacts, etc.), we do some research online. We can usually find some great deals.

Some things we would like to improve on--

• Coupon clipping-- Other than one-time coupons to places like Michael's and Joanne Fabrics, we don't get general coupons in the mail, so it's difficult. I've tried "clipping" online, but every time I try to, I have to install some "coupon clipper" software and am sent on a whirlwind survey escapade. I don't want to take online surveys to get coupons. I know they're out there- for free. Any suggestions?
  
• Making meal plans in advance-- I've been doing some of this, but I haven't been making grocery lists that far in advance, which I know would cut down even more on costs. Ideally, I'd like to go to the store only two times per month. I'm sure I'll work toward that goal more once we have more kids, too.
• Making our own homemade gifts. I'm getting better about this one, especially now that I have started to knit. In the past, I have done drawings, clay ornaments, journals or scrapbooks as gifts. I'm trying to ease back into sewing, bookbinding and card-making.
• Making our own cleaning supplies. These are better for the environment and safer with little ones milling around.
• Weather-proofing. Mike weather-proofed all the areas that we seemed to be losing the most energy (areas we could feel cold drafts of air blowing), but this house is so poorly insulated to begin with- it's like an icebox in the winter and a sauna in all of the rooms we don't have window units in during the warm months. We're trying to come up with more efficient ways to cut heating and cooling costs.
• Shopping at thrift stores. I know there are great deals to be had.
  
• Everything.