UPDATE: Do you have any money saving tips??

[mrsthrifty]

So my husband was layed off today and since I am a SAHM no money is coming in presently. I am wondering if anyone has any money saving tips for us. We do have a 2 yr old baby so baby tips are welcome. I feel like we are pretty frugal already but would love to hear any money saving ideas for us...

[434Teresa]

So sorry to hear this. Right now so many people here are laid off and no jobs much to be found.

You could try to potty train that would help some..maybe do a little in home baby setting to help out.

If you have a HE washier maybe use regular soap instead of HE you can get like 3 loads out of one scoup of the reg kind..I have been useing it for 6/7 years with no problems

[LivingOnLove]

So sorry to hear this too. There are no jobs here either. If it were me, I would inventory everything I had in my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator and see how many meals I could make out of what I have on hand. I also wouldn't buy any more paper products like paper plates, paper cups, napkins, etc.. Just use what you have. Combine all your trips and make 1 day an errand day each week to save on gas, and take along snacks so you won't be hungry and tempted to hit up a drive thru. Check out your local library, they have movies of all kinds that you can rent for free. Take a stroll down by the lake, or park. Baby Sit. See if there are any odd jobs, {mowing neighbors lawn, etc.} that your hubby can do. Use half the amount of toothpaste, washing detergent, dish liquid that you are using now, it does a great job with half as much as the directions call for.
Good Luck, and I wish you the best.

[CW&M Mom]

Be sure he gets approved for unemployment super fast.

Apply for WIC and Food stamps and medicaid for the baby.

Don't use what savings you have to purchase food in this situation (in case you are in this situation)...as your going to need that savings to get all the non food items your going to need....or bills or what not.

If you have a CVS or Wags around...you can use food stamps there...to purchase stuff that generates RR or ECB's to purchase the diapers or wipes that you need.


also for your bills. What can you cancel or downgrade. Your really ought to try and keep your internet...because nearly all jobs now days...expect you to apply online. Jobs are hard to come by...we've been in and out of unemployment for about 2 years now. Your also going to need some kind of phone...but cable can go...often cell phones can be down graded ect...

If you haven't ever had to apply for WIC or food stamps or medicaid...and want some help...PM me. Unfortnately I am now a pro at it.

[Kellybelly]

I'm sorry to hear this. Unemployment is on the rise here too. As for baby tips, I don't think I have too many. My youngest is 10, so it's been a while. When my daughter was still in diapers, we used cloth. Everybody thought I was nuts, but it was so nice not worrying about running out of diapers back then. Also, there are recipes for making your own homemade wipes using paper towels. We never really bought things like gerber snacks, etc. Once they were about a year old, they were pretty much eating everything that we ate.

First though, I would make a list of all expenses. Everything and anything you can think of needs to be on the list. Once your list is made, add up your total. Now you have a visual of all of your expenses. Go down the list, and anything you think that you might be able to cut down on (like cable etc.), put that item in the right column of your list. Your next step would be to work on cutting those expenses if you can. You never know if you might be able to squeeze out a few extra bucks each month.

You can also do a google search on tips to cut back on your utilities. I am sure you have probably heard quite a few already. You just might stumble on to something that is new to you though.

Bartering is another way to cut down on expenses. My husband does this. He is very handy. He is a contractor so he better be. A friend of ours owns a farm. He lets us keep a couple of cows on his property and feeds them for us. In return my husband helps him fix things when he needs it. He also lets him borrow his tools from time to time. It works out well for everyone.

Are you crafty? I have heard that quite a few people sell their crafts on etsy. Some do quite well. Perhaps if there is a country store close to you, they might be willing to sell your crafts for you. We have one right around the corner (withing walking distance). My daughter has thought about making some jewelry and asking if they would display it in their store. She hasn't acted on it yet though.

As far as feeding your family (like pps have said), make a list of items in your pantry and work off of that. You can make a menu based on what you have on hand. One thing that I have slowly been learning to do is not cook too much food. I was really really bad at this. I would make way too much food, some would get eaten as leftovers and the rest would end up in the compost bucket. Such a waste. If you do make extras try and turn the leftovers into another meal. Chicken can be turned into soup, pot pie, ala king etc. There is a website called hillbillyhousewife.com She has tons of ideas for cooking on a budget. Some of the recipes aren't for everyone, but it's worth looking at it.

Good luck! I'll say a prayer for you and your family. Hopefully your husband will be back to work very soon.

KB

[mrsthrifty]

Thanks so much guys for your ideas! They were so great and I am very encouraged that we can make everything work out for the best! I thought I was prepared for this type of thing and I've found out I really am not as prepared and tough as I thought I was... but I'm determined to meet the challenge and come out better off because of it. I understand how so many people who have been going through unemployment feel and my heart and prayers go out to them. Thanks again!

[jenn_lovingmomof4]

Start making yor own laundry soap, hand soap, etc. There are lots of sites that offer recipies to do this. Here are a few:

Homemade Laundry Detergent FAQ : TipNut.com

Making Homemade Laundry Soap

The Simple Dollar How To Make Your Own Laundry Detergent – And Save Big Money

Homemade Liquid Hand Soap – Recipe : TipNut.com

You can find sites that will show you how to make homemade abby wipes too.

[SariniLynn]

Well there's this great couponing site I know... Oh wait.

If you think it's going to take a while for him to find another job, you might look into something part-time in the evenings to hold you over. (Evenings, so it doesn't interfere with the search for the "real job".) Dave Ramsey's favorite is delivering pizza, of course, but there are also decent jobs to be had doing overnight stock at various stores, etc. And even a little bit of income will be a big help, since you already know how to stretch it!

[angelaira]

There is a book called "Your Money or Your Life", I would recommend finding a copy and reading it cover to cover, it is a great book that will help you really assess your expenses and your attitude towards money. It recommends things like repairing what you already have, using things until they wear out, etc.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn is another book that is a must read... she takes a hard look at everything like how to figure out how much dish soap costs per ounce so you can properly compare prices, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of laundry detergent, how to create a kids wardrobe from yard sale finds and hand me downs, and organize it by size so when your child grows into a new size you have a full box of clothes ready to go, etc. etc. etc.... great book to read!
Now is the time to relish your togetherness, watch a meteor shower, go for a walk, pick wild flowers... go to bed early and try not to turn on lights after dark, be creative and loving towards each other, and you will find ways to weather any storm.
Think back to your grandparents and great-grandparents, those who survived the great depression, what things did they carry forward? My grandmother made note paper by cutting up envelopes, if you print coupons all that extra paper can be used for notes!
What do you consider most important? How do you pamper yourself and those around you? How can you cut back but still feel fortunate for the things you do have?

[gettinrevvin2007]

Clip every prescription deal coupon you find, in your circulars each Sunday.
You will need them, when someone gets sick.

For instance, Rite Aid has a $25 gift card when you transfer, Target has a $10 one, Kmart has a $25 one-I think it's when you transfer etc., CVS sometimes have a $25 one.-of course, that one is never in my area.
If you know how to roll ECBs and Ups Rewards, these gift cards can help reduce your oops.

Last year, we didn't have medical insurance. This year, we got all our prescriptions dirt cheap after insurance, so the gift card difference was all free money, which we rolled into deals.

Giant/PA/Martins and Weis both had deals where you could get free gas w/ a new prescription. Weis was a $20 gift card, get a 2nd $20 gift card when you accumulate an additional 3 prescriptions. I think Giant's was a $25 gift w/ prescription, $10 gift card w/ 2nd prescription. Now Weis is running a quarterly deal: $1.00/gallon gas discount w/ prescription.

Then try to 'roll' those gift cards into OYNO deals, and keep those 'cats' rolling as long as you can.

Also, sign up for programs like MyPoints, My Coke Rewards (or Pepsi's version), and Swagbucks. You can convert your points for more gift cards. I can send you my referral links, if you pm me. Couldn't fit in current sig line.