help, i need small changes to add up to big savings..

Krista - posted on 11/12/2008

My husband and I have started extreme couponing. This has been very helpful. We buy of the Sunday paper and cut all the coupons out put them in a binder that has baseball card holders so that we can look at them at a glance. We place them in order of how we would see them in the grocery store. then we shop the adds, CVS does a lot of good sales where you can use your coupons and get cheap stuff. Just so you know we buy our paper at the local dollar store for a dollar a piece. We got a lot of good information from a local lady who talks about how she does the couponing. Her site maybe helpful to you. There are a lot of double coupon deals out there. You can use a store coupon with a manufacturing coupon on the same item. On B1G1 Free you can use two coupons. Just a lot of little bits of info is out there. Search the web and see if there are any bloggers in your area that do the same. We have made money on products and have saved an extreme amount of money. The lady's website is http://littlemissknowitall.contentquake.... Hope this helps a little

Christina - posted on 11/12/2008

My gas company (bay state gas) has a ton of tips on their website (baystategas.com). In addition, they have a service where they will come out to customers houses to assess what can be done to save money. Also, they offer many rebates for installing certain energy saving items (such as wrapping your hot water heater). Try checking out baystategas.com for ideas and I would also check with your own gas/electric etc companies. They may offer similar services. Good luck!

Danielle - posted on 11/12/2008

These are all great tips - some I've never thought to do. I'll be leaving my oven door open to heat that side of the house after cooking, for sure.

We live in the NE states and I only turn the heat on when my stepson is there (we don't have other kids yet!). My husband and I just suck it up and bundle in warm pjs at night... our electric bill has been incredibly cheap the past two months! :)

Amanda - posted on 11/12/2008

Some more tips that I have are to now that it is winter,... turn down the heat a bit when you are ouit of the house now being a stay at home mom i am home quite a bit but when i leave i make it a point to turn it down, and instead of shoping for new baby clothes in department stores I ALWAYS check my local thrift stores you can find really great buys and for CHEAP!! I buy toys there also but keep in mind to wash them when you get them home. for ex. I just bought a Hokey Pokey Elmo brand new at thrift store for $3.00!!! I also unplug everything when I am not using it, and since we live in an old house we put plastic on the windows to cut down on heat, and when I cook with my oven I leave the door open on the oven to let that heat out (BUT BE SURE LITTLE HANDS CANT GET TO THE OVEN TO BURN THEMSELVES) little things add up in the end. And this is also a thing that we do is buy meat like beef or pork by the half or quarter from a butcher shop that way you dont have to buy meat on sale.. but if a good sale comes up i dont pass it up!! hope these tips help

Julie - posted on 11/12/2008

Use coupons and only buy what is on sale. That alone has saved my husband and I almost $4,000.00 already this year. Pack lunch instead of eating out, bring drinks rather than buy out. Plan your meals so you can use left overs the next night. Limit time spent in showers, only wash clothes when it's a full load, make your own cleaners, you'd be surprised what savings you have when you clean with vinegar only.

Danielle - posted on 11/12/2008

My husband and I are prepping for the same transition - my only working PT after our baby is born in April. A few suggestions we're putting into action are: installing energy-saving lightbulbs. I found a website online that went through all the costs of wattage per hour and the long term comparison was fantastic. We have also gotten a water filter for our faucet to save on the long term purchase of bottled water (something we go through a lot). We also took the plunge into a BJ's membership (Costco, Sam's, etc) as this will be a HUGE savings in the long run on buying diapers, formula, wipes, even our favorite non-perishable food products we can get in bulk (especially the fruit snacks for my stepson's lunches!). In terms of unplugging appliances, I recommend putting all your tv/entertainment center electronics plugged into one extension cord that you can then hit the button on to disconnect them from the power outlet. It's an easy thing to do after you watch tv / play a game / etc.

I know I've more, but I can't think of them at the moment - I'll let you know if I do!

All of these things may seem like minuscule differences at first, but in the course of the year you'd be surprised what it can add up to!