Series II: Top Ten Ways We Have Saved Money

If you missed last weeks post on the first 5 ways I've saved money over the last year, you can read them here. We have worked at finding ways to save money without sacrificing our lifestyle. Unfortunately, it took the economy change to push us there, but we hope to at least learn from our past mistakes! I hope that this will give you encouragement in your finances even if the ideas aren't new.

6. Get a beater car for commuting. Okay, so this idea won't work for everyone, but it is one of the ways we have saved thousands over this past year (you can see the picture of the one my husband drives above). I have a smaller SUV and my husband has a truck. When gas prices were crazy last year, my husband got the Geo to do all his random driving. He needs a truck to pull his boat and for hauling things occasionally, not to mention meeting with clients, but most of the time he drives the Geo. Even to this day! We have estimated that between maintenance and gas we have saved $4,000+!

7. Find another way to generate more income. I hadn't worked for 2 1/2 years. When we started getting serious about saving and paying off debt, one of the ways we decided to increase our income was for me to go back to work one day a week. In my career, working one day a week is worth it money wise, my mom watches my kids for me when I work so we don't have to pay for child care, and my husband is able to fill in when she isn't able to.

8. Do car and house repairs yourself. My husband is pretty handy at most things, but hates to do things like oil changes, brake repair and house repairs. Before this year, he would just take the cars to the shop or hire someone to do maintenance. He now does those things himself and saves us money every time he does them!

9. Take advantage of the rebate programs out there. Before I started on this money saving journey, I had no idea there were so many ways to get things free or at low cost using rebates. Sometimes the things that are free after rebate are kind of random, but I've been surprised at how many times they have come in handy for us. The ones I have used most are Rite Aid, Walgreens and e-bates.

10. Get creative and make your stockpile work for you. I had my husband build me some shelves in our storage area under the house, and that is where I keep the majority of my stockpile. Here are a few ways I get creative with it...I use it to build creative bridal and baby shower gifts. For bridal showers, I often get a nice basket and fill it with random household cleaning products. I have been amazed at how much people love such a practical gift. The same goes for baby showers. Who doesn't love to get diapers? I mentioned earlier about selling it in a garage sale. It also gives me a ready supply of items to donate or fill a food box (like at Christmas), and any time I have family or friends stop by unplanned, I have plenty of food to whip something up for dinner :)

Erika