Planning Your Budget: How to Save a Buck

If you're trying to cut back on expenses to make your money last longer, here are some tips that may help. If there's one thing I've learned during the economy crunch, it's how to save a buck! I hope these tips can help you save a buck to make your money last.

1.) Do away with that second car. When my neighbor said he was going to buy an older car to drive back and forth to work I thought to myself, "oh boy, I wonder if he knows what he's getting into." "More gas, more maintenance bills, more car insurance." Yup, I was right. He's been working on it all day long. One trip to the Discount Auto, then another, then the neighbor across the road comes over to help and he pays him a little for his time and hard work. I just don't agree with the thought that cutting down on the miles on that newer vehicle was such a great idea!

2.) Save money on cleaning supplies. The only cleaning supplies I buy anymore are dish soap, laundry soap and bleach. I saved a spray bottle and mix clorax, water and a few drops of dish soap together, shake it up and it works great for cleaning the bathroom, counter tops and appliances.

3.) Save on your electric bill by unplugging appliances. According to our electric company, unplugging the computer, DVD player and television cuts down on the light bill. It seems like a pain in the neck to run around unplugging everything each night but not if you have one of those electrical strips. All you have to do is flick the little red button and everything is shut off at once.

4.) Save your freezer bags. You won't have to buy freezer bags and sandwich bags as often if you reuse them. Just wash them out when you do the dishes! I've been doing this and it is a money saver. We don't buy small garbage bags to line the bathroom and bedroom trash cans either! We just save all of our grocery bags and use them each time we take out the trash.

5.) Make what you have last. I recently ran out of sugar and my husband was ready to run to the grocery store. I told him that I would use up all of the sugar we had in the house before making that extra trip. I've used the brown sugar and the confectioners sugar, yes, in my coffee! And it didn't kill me! As a matter of fact, it didn't taste much different at all.

6.) Cut down on entertainment costs. Often I find myself thinking, "I'm bored, let's go out." Then I find myself thinking, "No, maybe I'll start that book that's been sitting on my bookshelf for months instead." Yes, it can be expensive to go out, especially if you're buying a few drinks and dinner. Going to the movies is costly too, so you could pull out an old movie from your collection of DVD's and make some popcorn instead. You'll surely catch those newer movies on cable next year.

7.) Buy in bulk- our meat market down the street a few blocks has a great selection of meat for a low price. Yes, they're giant packages, but this is good. For the cost per pound, it's a real money saver.

8.) Gifts- when my kids ask me what I want for my birthday or what my husband and I want for our anniversary I say, "gift cards!" We lucked out this year; we got $175.00 in restaurant gift cards for Christmas. Not only that but each year we all meet at a certain restaurant on New Year's Eve and we just happened to have a gift card. We didn't have to spend a cent to go out that night!

9.) Tithing- I'm not trying to discourage your tithing, but if you can't afford it then you can't afford it. It's just that simple. I know the Lord understands when I stop and give to the Veterans that sit outside the grocery store on Saturday morning instead of tithing. Compare the cost...a few dollars here or a lot more dollars there. I don't feel guilty either. I know that I'm still giving, just not as much as I used to.

10.) Save on water- when my sister and her husband came to stay last year they gave me an idea that I've used since then. In regards to saving water by flushing the toilet, they said, "If it's pee let it be, if it's brown flush it down." Now, doesn't that make sense? Of course if you have your own well water, it's not a problem, but if you're like us and live in the city, then the water costs money.

I hope you can use some of these money saving ideas. The economy and my lay off from work have forced us to be more money conscious. I remember my parents using many of these ideas years ago when I was young, always living on a budget, and now I'm doing the same thing!