A penny saved is a penny earned-have a budget

     I like to think of being thrifty is not just not having what you want. A lifestyle of denial would not be any fun. Being thrifty is using your money wisely so you can have all the things you want and attain the financial goals you have set for yourself.
     Although this year I'm trying to be a bit extreme about cutting spending, it is because I have certain goals of having a healthy savings and being debt free.
    There are lots of ways a person can cut spending and not feel it. It is easy to waste a dollar here or a dollar there. All of that adds up to $100s of dollars at the end of the year. Where is the money going?
     The first thing anyone should do that wants to save money is write out a budget. Compare what is going out and what is coming in.   You can either cut what is going out or add to what is coming in. My husband is a salary employee. He can't work overtime and get paid any more.
    We have made changes to what we pay out. We have very inexpensive car insurance. (We use USAA.) It is a good idea to compare rates. You should do it at least once at every renewal. It is really easy to get car insurance quotes online and it is worth your time to compare.
    Got Cable? Why? You can watch TV on Hulu for free. It is one of those expenses that if you need to par down should be cut.
     Phones... Price compare. Don't keep renewing your contract so you can get the latest and greatest new phone. Shop around. You can take your cell phone number with you to the next company. It might be CHEAPER to buy an ipod than pay for a phone with data for 2 years. (We have a wireless connection for our internet at the house.) We don't have a home phone. I have a cell with no data. My phone is over 3 years old and as many times as it has been dropped (thrown by the toddler), it still works great.
    If you need help with a budget... I highly recommend you look into Dave Ramsey. He is my financial hero.

What's for your thrifty dinner?

      So about 10 minutes before my husband got home, I realized I needed to cook dinner! Panic! This is normally when I would get out a warm wash cloth and clean the toddler's face off to make sure we were all presentable enough to go out to eat.  But going out to eat can really add up. It's usually around $35 (including tip) to go to our favorite little Mexican Restaurant but that doesn't include a meal for the little one as she eats off our plates. 
     So I scrambled to make something quick.  We had ham, sweet potatoes, and broccoli for dinner.  We ate ham leftover from Christmas that I froze the leftovers. I threw it in the microwave for a minute and then heated it in a skillet. The sweet potatoes were from a can and I got it on sale for 82 cents. (It's a big can so that was 50% off.) The broccoli was frozen and only half the bag so maybe a dollar.  I am guessing on the cost of the ham. I don't remember what I paid for it exactly...It was about $15. We ate Christmas dinner, the day after, froze 5 other portions for later meals, and made a broth =Total meals 8... So $15 divided by 8 is approximately $1.87 per meal for the ham.
$1.87 for ham
$0.82 for sweet potatoes
$1.00 for broccoli
-------------------------
$3.69 Grand total for dinner for a Family of 4! Less than $1 per person!


     This is a great example of an easy thing a family can do to save $. Skip going out to eat and cook a meal!

     I know... you don't happen to have any ham in your freezer. Well this month, I cooked a turkey!  A 13lb turkey that cost $13. (It was 98 cents a lb so a little less than $13. I didn't buy it on sale! Gasp!)
We had 1 meal and then I froze 9 portions for other meals. (Approx 1 1/2 cups of turkey per portion. Perfect for adding to soup, noodles,casseroles, salads etc) Then I cooked up the carcass for a broth. I actually got enough broth for 2 soups! So the cost of the turkey per meal... ($13 divided by 12) $1.08! It's easy to cook a turkey! It provides plenty of leftovers, so you'll have the meat pre-cooked for quick  and thrifty meals! You can use turkey in place of chicken in most recipes.
  
I'd rather eat at home of my own Dollar Menu!

Stay Thrifty!

The New Year Resolution

My new year's resolution this year was to have a "No Spend" year. I want to curb my spending habits and save as much as possible. I want to declutter my life.
Now you may be thinking... how can a person not spend any money in a year? Okay do no spending is impossible. The rent will be paid, groceries bought, and hygiene supplies will be bought.


However for all other items (besides food, gas for the car, hygiene, or household cleaning products. I'm going to not buy them unless I sell something to fund it or earn from home. I'm a happy housewife with a toddler and ten year old. This should be interesting.

To start this adventure ... I sold a few things on Ebay before the year started to have a little in my paypal acct to start the year with. I also sew and have a craft room full of fabric. That puts me at an advantage over other thrifty moms. (However I plan to add a few no-sew alternatives to my suggestions. )

Since today is the 14th of Jan ... I have a late start sharing my little adventure.
So far I bought $27 worth of Serger thread on Sale at Joann's at the beginning of the year. It was 50% off with free shipping. I just got my serger for Christmas so I only had 3 colors. (White, black, and pink) I also found a heater on clearance for $7. Normally it cost $36! We needed a heater in our bathroom. I'm on budget with my grocery/hygiene/household spending.

My challenges are...
I love Fabric. It's a weakness.
We have diet issues so we eat low purine and gluten free.
My DD is very attached to her mommy. She is still breastfed, takes naps while I hold her, and in general is not happy unless she has my full attention.She has never been in the care of a babysitter and we don't have family close enough to watch her.

So can I do it?
Hopefully every day I'll tell you things I've done or am doing to be thrifty. I'll also update you on my spending and "at home earning".

Wish me lots of luck and logic!