Few Money Saving Ideas

Before doing Financial Peace and living on an exact budget, these money-saving ideas would have seemed not worth the time and like they wouldn't have made much difference. I've been on all sides of the money issue, from paying off student debt quickly, to living rather free with plenty, to living tighter for important goals. I'm now at the point that these ideas are helping achieve my goals. I hope they help you, too, if you are trying to pay off debt or just want to have more money to give away.

-switch to cloth napkins and save paper napkins for rare occasions. I stack cloth napkins on top of the paper and the rule is, if there is cloth available, use it first.

-buy the reusable paper towels that last far longer than paper towels. These are great for keeping germs contained--for example, one of these cloths has about 20 or so uses, so if one is dedicated to a toilet and only to be used on that one toilet, it will last months and months if you clean weekly.

-make homemade cleaners. I love Norwex, but the cost is prohibitive. I've made a good-sized bottle of shower spray out of vinegar and Dawn dish soap, and it works great. Sure, the smell isn't awesome, but no shower spray that works has a good smell in my opinion, including Norwex's descaler (which I L.O.V.E.)

-You can get a bottle of Spic n Span liquid antibacterial spray cleaner for the best price of any spray cleaners at Wal-mart. Use it, then afterward you have a bottle for the same price as an empty spray bottle at Wal-mart.

-In teaching the kids how to properly clean, we realized a need to have different rags for each job and specific cleansers for the right job. Having one container of antibacterial wipes lasts a long, long time if they are only for doing the final wipe of a toilet or are just for handles all around the house. Effective, easy to explain to kids, and it helps reinforce the idea of not cross-contaminating germs.

-make more of your own food. There is a terrific 3 ingredient ice cream recipe on Pinterest. It has been cheaper for us to make our own, but like a budget, doing this has a way of changing our perspective on special treats. Less is more when you realize and appreciate that treats don't come in giant-sized servings. Our family of five can have a double batch of the homemade twice, so that is good for a week or two since we make other desserts through the week.

-speaking of dessert...having one night that you definitely make dessert is a great way to incorporate a feeling of specialness and high living even when you are making big budget cuts. Our night is Monday. I make a nice dinner and dessert every Monday, and it isn't the ice cream mentioned above! This dessert is freshly made: tapioca pudding, rice pudding, cake, eclairs...something I can't whip up last-minute usually, and it isn't made in advance. I feel good doing this once a week and the family can count on it and look forward to it.

-learn to cook something special you would normally only order 'out'. I did this with calzones, now when we eat out we never feel like we need to have those since I make them. This just adds to the feeling of not really missing out even though you are doing something far less. We are all feeling fine eating out far less than we once did.

-switch to powder dishwasher compound and put it in a container to use with a measuring scoop. This may seem ridiculous, but wasting a bit here or there is just costly...and those pennies add up. If you have soft water, you don't need to fill the dishwasher soap dispenser to the top. Find out what size spoon/scoop fills yours to the right spot. I've got a Tablespoon sized scoop on top of our rectangular container with a locking lid (the kind that is easy to open and close, the lid completely comes off and little handles flip-up to lock it in place) and I'm certain this box is lasting longer. Pre-made tabs are the most expensive, and it is easy to squeeze in more liquid detergent than is needed. Measuring is also a daily reminder to be careful about what God has given us to use for our well-being-- not wasting or having unneeded extravagance.

These may seem like small changes, but you will save anywhere from $5-$10 per month on just these items. A big pack of napkins is $4 and the measured powdered dishwasher compound change easily saves several dollars. Finish powder works great, just as well as the Powerballs I used to use.

~Ann