Budget Makeover

[TheyCallMeMom]

I have a family blog and I am doing an Extreme Budget Makeover. I just posted assignment #21 today, and I am running out of ideas.

What is something you did, besides couponing ;), that helped you tighten your budget?

[fungirl2727]

Do you have any credit card dept? Do you have cable tv? Call and see if you can get interest rate down and cable bill down.

[Pennstater]

Your blog sounds cool!

Not having seen your 1st 20 assignments, have you tried...

making sure your credit card, if you use one, is a rewards card? Cash in for gift cards, etc in a few months.

look up copycat recipes of your fav. restaurant meals instead of eating out. $2.50 per coke, x family of 4 = budget for entire homemade meal for family of 4!!

[IntoTheMystic]

I'm not sure if you've already posted about these, but here they are
- Put my husband on a weekly allowance and took away the debit card (I asked him what he could live with, and then increased it by 25%. The increase sounds counter-intuitive, but his beer/lunches/gas/cigarettes and anything he "wants" and is not an actual need, has to come from that money. That includes work tools, classes, etc. If it's not in the annual budget, it comes from that money or he doesn't get it. That takes me out of the position of having to resent his purchases, and/or make me the bad guy for saying always saying no)
- got rid of all our credit cards
- bought meat in bulk (1/4 of a cow) and had it butchered
- took on extra jobs (I teacher summer school and do summer school curriculum work instead of taking the summers off; my husband works a lot of overtime)
- paid cash for our Disney vacation last year- we didn't go until we could afford it- and no credit cards anyway :)
- traded with others for services (mechanic work traded for septic work, etc.)
- called the cable company and argued until they lowered our rate (I am planning to get rid of cable and use Netflix and Hulu, etc. If anyone has suggestions about what's best...please let me know. I do need to keep my high-speed internet for work. My DS10 is freaking out, but he'll adjust.)
- got prepaid cell phones (and am turning off house phone when we get rid of our cable)
- plan to plant a bigger garden this year and can and freeze more
- We camp and backpack almost every weekend in the summer---we have cut way back on state campsites (which charge a fee) and now camp at primitive sites which are free. (Now if I could just figure out how to cut back on the gas to get there...)
- Joined a private family ski "club" for $100 a season (no lift ticket or per day fees) and stopped going elsewhere.
- Limited my DS10 to one sport/activity at a time and we buy used equipment whenever we can (even if grammy and grandma say they are paying, b/c there are always extra fees involved that I don't like to ask for)
- I cut my boys' hair myself
- my husband makes the max allowed contribution to his 401K plan
- Enrolled in an HSA

We have a long way to go, but we're getting there slowly and surely. It's been tough to get my husband on the same page as me with the "frugal lifestyle". He is a bit of a "I want it now" guy, and enjoys toys, but I just keep reminding him that if they take our house, he won't have anywhere to store those toys...

Hope you find something in here useful.

ETA: We go out to eat only if it's FREE (like if my mom gives me a gift card for my bday). About once every 3 months we might hit the Chinese Buffet, but only if there is a coupon

[TheyCallMeMom]

some great ideas. Esp the rewards card, I forgot about that. Thanks!

DH and I camped alot when we were first together. but the price of sites now!! even the primative ones, many we looked at charged per person and not per site. there is 10 of us. I wasnt going to pay what they wanted to sleep in a tent. So we pitched one in our backyard LOL

I don't know the posting rules but I can put the blog on my profile where it says homepage URL.

we got rid of tv completely a few years ago, not just for financial reasons. We have the free Hulu account and the watch now Netflix plan with one dvd. We have been really happy with that decision.

I look forward to more ideas!! :)

[IntoTheMystic]

DH and I camped alot when we were first together. but the price of sites now!! even the primative ones, many we looked at charged per person and not per site. there is 10 of us. I wasnt going to pay what they wanted to sleep in a tent. So we pitched one in our backyard LOL
:)

We live near the Adirondacks, and by primitive I mean we park the car by the road and hike along the Lakeville-Placid (or similar) trails and camp in either a lean-to or in our tent :) That's hard to do if you have young chilren b/c their little legs get tired, so that may not work for you. Also, there are other State lands we can camp on for free, it's just a matter of finding them...NYS doesn't advertise those, only the paid sites.

I hope you can post the iink to your blog! I look forward to reading it.

[TheyCallMeMom]

I'll have to look into that. I know DH's concern is the trespassing issues. But I'll call and see, I know the older ones would enjoy more primitive camping.

[motherofmolly]

how about ideas for making extra money on the side or bartering for other things

dh and i have started bartering for things we dont have but others do. i take my extras for couponing and we trade for things...one friend gives us eggs..or dh goes and fishes at a friends for fish....

and another friend has been giving us his fresh killed rabbits.