Little Bean will be headed there five days a week, it's the cheapest option. To have him for a set number of days is $55/day and unfortunately, we need him to go at least 4 days a week, which would equal out to $220 per week.
So, we're going to start living as frugally as possible and we have one month to get our butts in gear. In addition to getting a solid budget done, we'll also be looking for ways to cut back and save money.
The below ideas are things that won't make a huge difference, but little things add up. Make sure to do both big ticket items and little ticket items.
8 Easy Frugal Ideas
1. Pack a lunch
Think about it, every time you eat lunch it's about $8.00. $8.00 x 5 days per week = $40.00. $40.00 x 4 weeks per month = $160.00. For me, $160.00 is my student loan payment.
2. Meal Plan
When meal planning you need to plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If you don't, you'll find yourself frustrated with the "lack" of stuff in the house for you to eat. You'll need to look at each recipe to make sure you either have all the ingredients or that they are on your grocery list. It will take a little longer in the store, but you won't be spending those extra few dollars on things you want every time you run in to pick up the ingredients for that nights dinner.
3. Don't eat out
When you eat out you spend the same amount of money on one meal as you could on 3-4 homemade meals, not including left overs. So, meal plan!
4. Dryer Sheets- to use or not to use....
Dryer sheets are to keep your clothes from getting stat-icky in the dryer. During the summer months here in New England, I don't use them. Our summer is mild and wet enough that they aren't needed. However, in the winter they are definitely needed because everything gets incredibly dry. But you don't need to use the whole sheet. When I buy a box, I cut the sheets into thirds. It's not as time consuming as it sounds, you're not cutting each sheet individually. Just grab a chunk of them and cut them up all at once, and they don't have to be perfectly the same size. Wing it and get it done quickly, don't spend more then 5 minutes cutting them up... I mean seriously, it's not that big a deal. Then stuff them all back in the box you pulled them out of, they aren't like a playpen or pop-up tent, they will fit easily back in the package they came from.
5. Washing Laundry
When you do a load of laundry DON'T forget it! If you forget it for too long, you have to re-wash it because it gets a funky smell. When you have to re-wash a whole load, you are using the water, soap and electricity to re-wash those clothes.
6. Clothes Line
If you live in a climate where you can hang your clothes out to dry, do it! The dryer uses a lot of power to heat up, so, if you can dry a bunch of clothes without it, go for it!
7. Compost and Recycle
Compost- Some will tell you to do it because it's good for the planet. Well, it's also good for your wallet. If you compost you won't have to buy fertilizer, just spread some compost down.
Recycle- Also recycle, think about all the jars, bottles, plastic jugs, cardboard boxes, card board tubes, etc we get rid of. If we take all of that out of our trash bag, for free! We have less bags of trash, and if you pay per bag (like my parents) that can be a savings of $10 per bag to bring it to the dump and that's not even counting the cost of the trash bags themselves.
8. Turn off lights
I know, it's so simple it sounds stupid. Yet you wouldn't believe the number of times I've passed the basement doorway to see the lights are on. There are 10 light bulbs on that one switch! That can add to the electric bill quickly.
These aren't ideas that will put tons of money into your pocket, but they are ways to help you trim your budget. Everyone has to start somewhere, so, start with the little things you can quickly and easily take control of.
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