UPDATE: Do you have any money saving tips??

[puakinikini]

I would look into food banks in your area, as well as any clothing drives. Churches/thrift shops often hold events where individuals who are in need can come and pick out items. Our good will shops have 50% Saturdays (every other Sat) where you can get clothing and household things for cheap.

I would also sell anything you can for money. When my husband was laid off we had 2 garage sales where I sold clothes and household items. We made quite a bit of money considering that we did nto have any big ticket items to sell.

[skimo]

Not sure if this is something you may want to consider, but you could potentially pull in some extra $$$ from watching some kiddos in your home. Daycare facilities are quite expensive (IMHO) and even watching a few kids after school can help your budget a bit without being too disruptive to your family / homelife.

As the OP mentioned...downgrade cable/ cell phones, etc. I recently called to downgrade my cable (Charter) and they offered me a discounted rate on my current package for a year. They want your business and will work with you. Internet providers..shop around...I use juno, which is ~$10/mth. I once had a metro phone line for ~$50/mth and downgraded to a regular line, which saved me about 50%.

Auto insurance...if you have full coverage, do you actually need it? Are you paying 'state minimum coverage' or are you paying more? Lots of insurance companies will have you carry more coverage (full or liability) then what the state minimum requires. Chat w/ your insurance company and ask them.....

[rrpate]

my idea on cooking is if you are cooking think of other things that you can cook (bake) at the same time to save the gas/elect. also i think (imho) that if you are cooking cook a bunch and freeze half of the meal for another meal a couple weeks away! works great in summer to cook more out doors..use wood instead of charcoal or gas... go on a walk and pick up dead wood... use up those candles you have been getting free! watch TV in the dark or candlelight... my kids used to love this! make your own snacks by using what ever you have in the house.kids will come up with the craziest ideas.. let the kids dip into peanut butter,honey,jelly or syrup... what ever you have to dip.. if you have a stockpile of shampoo and stuff and need fresh veggies. barter with a friend or neighbor... find the day old bread store! if your area has them... condensed milk if you can find sales use for cooking. turn off water heater for half the day.. it will stay warm for a long time..figure out when you need hot water the most and turn it on a little before keep it on after showers to reheat the water then turn it off... usually done by flipping fuse switch.shower together ; ) turn air or heat to the setting that is just barely comfy for you... shut off rooms that are not used. close closet doors.. even close of the vents to the rooms you do not use much... good luck!

[mrsthrifty]

Thanks again for all the great ideas! I knew I was asking the right people! I'm sure we will make our own laundry detergent and cleaning products...I already make my own baby wipes...I'm planning a "freezer day"...we'll see if we can lower our cell phone bill any further...I'm looking into babysitting on the side and my husband is working on trying to make his computer side business his main business. There are so many more tips that we will be looking into as well! Thanks guys!

[MoneySavinDiva]

I'm a SAHM and by looking at hubs' income I have no clue how we are able to live on that and that alone, but somehow we do. Here are some of the things I do...

...I make my own bread/bread products (hamburger buns, french bread, sandwich bread, etc.). I'm able to get flour in bulk at Sam's club (if you aren't a member, watch for "free" membership days/coupons. You can go in for free for a day and get everything you need). It saves me a lot of money and it tastes WAY better

...Menu plan, one week at a time, based on what you have in your cupboards/freezers/refrigerator. I do this every Tuesday when my store's sale ad comes out for the week so I can fill in with sale items. I also plan for leftovers, so if I'm making a ham in the crockpot on Monday night, then some other meals for the week will include hot ham/cheese sandwiches, hawaaiin pizza, etc.

...Utilize your crockpot as much as possible! The crockpot uses a lot less energy than the oven/stove, keeps the kitchen cooler than the oven/stove meaning your ac won't have to kick in, and it really keeps meats tender and juicy!!

...Switch your washing machine to run the wash cycle in cold water. This saves you the money of needing the water heater to heat water for laundry. I also hang almost all of my laundry outside to dry (with the exception of underwear, towels and rags) which saves me a lot of money on my electric bill since the dryer isn't running.

...You can make your own yogurt, which saves me hundreds of dollars a year. If you want my recipe, just pm me and I'll send it to you

...Also try to make as much as possible from scratch. This really does save a lot of money, especially if you are able to take advantage of a wholesale club where you can get baking supplies in bulk, and therefore a lot cheaper than what you would pay regularly at the grocery store.

...Stop buying convenience items. I used to buy lots of things like Powerades, Capri Sun pouches, etc. I figured since I was getting them for really cheap with coupons that it was well worth it. Once I got to thinking about it though, I realized that if I just bought a few 10c KoolAid packets and sugar in bulk at Sams I would be paying far less for a drink. I just put them in reusable water bottles obtained from Goodwill/Garage Sales.

...Frequent Goodwill and other thrift stores for any needs like clothes, household items that arise. My son is 3 months old, and all of his clothes are either hand me downs, a Goodwill purchase or from Garage sales. These places are SO CHEAP for quality clothes compared to retail. Just give each item the once over before you purchase to make sure there are no stains/holes/etc.

...Have leftover night/lunch to ensure you aren't having any food waste each week. Throwing old leftovers/food in the trash is just the same as throwing money in there.

I have SOOOO many more things that I do to save my family money so I can stay home, let me know if you want some more ideas!! Just keep faith, you will make it through this, I'll say a prayer for your family!

[mythreesons]

I'm a SAHM and by looking at hubs' income I have no clue how we are able to live on that and that alone, but somehow we do. Here are some of the things I do...

...I make my own bread/bread products (hamburger buns, french bread, sandwich bread, etc.). I'm able to get flour in bulk at Sam's club (if you aren't a member, watch for "free" membership days/coupons. You can go in for free for a day and get everything you need). It saves me a lot of money and it tastes WAY better

...Menu plan, one week at a time, based on what you have in your cupboards/freezers/refrigerator. I do this every Tuesday when my store's sale ad comes out for the week so I can fill in with sale items. I also plan for leftovers, so if I'm making a ham in the crockpot on Monday night, then some other meals for the week will include hot ham/cheese sandwiches, hawaaiin pizza, etc.

...Utilize your crockpot as much as possible! The crockpot uses a lot less energy than the oven/stove, keeps the kitchen cooler than the oven/stove meaning your ac won't have to kick in, and it really keeps meats tender and juicy!!

...Switch your washing machine to run the wash cycle in cold water. This saves you the money of needing the water heater to heat water for laundry. I also hang almost all of my laundry outside to dry (with the exception of underwear, towels and rags) which saves me a lot of money on my electric bill since the dryer isn't running.

...You can make your own yogurt, which saves me hundreds of dollars a year. If you want my recipe, just pm me and I'll send it to you

...Also try to make as much as possible from scratch. This really does save a lot of money, especially if you are able to take advantage of a wholesale club where you can get baking supplies in bulk, and therefore a lot cheaper than what you would pay regularly at the grocery store.

...Stop buying convenience items. I used to buy lots of things like Powerades, Capri Sun pouches, etc. I figured since I was getting them for really cheap with coupons that it was well worth it. Once I got to thinking about it though, I realized that if I just bought a few 10c KoolAid packets and sugar in bulk at Sams I would be paying far less for a drink. I just put them in reusable water bottles obtained from Goodwill/Garage Sales.

...Frequent Goodwill and other thrift stores for any needs like clothes, household items that arise. My son is 3 months old, and all of his clothes are either hand me downs, a Goodwill purchase or from Garage sales. These places are SO CHEAP for quality clothes compared to retail. Just give each item the once over before you purchase to make sure there are no stains/holes/etc.

...Have leftover night/lunch to ensure you aren't having any food waste each week. Throwing old leftovers/food in the trash is just the same as throwing money in there.

I have SOOOO many more things that I do to save my family money so I can stay home, let me know if you want some more ideas!! Just keep faith, you will make it through this, I'll say a prayer for your family!

I really enjoyed reading your money saving tips!!! Please give more info on as many money seving tips as you can..We can all learn something that maybe we didn't know about saving money.. ((HUGS))

[mrsthrifty]

I wanted to update this thread because after 7 months of little work my husband found a job!! No real benefits but it is a job that looks very stable and we are so happy and relieved!! I will say because of great tips from so many people and generous family and friends we have no debt because of the unemployment! We are so thankful for a good outcome!

[cody82414]

that is fantastic news!!

[kval07]

Congrats!