Ditching one car if you have two can be an excellent way to lower household costs. You can save that money you would be spending on depreciation, interest on your loan, taxes and fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, maintenance, repairs, and more and put it to better use.

I was in a two parent + kid family for years with just one car. We lived in an area with seriously terrible public transportation AND we lived in a little town out on a beach – so for supplies you had to drive into town. Lastly, my son’s dad and me were both in college at the time and one of us always had a job. However, we still managed to make one car work by doing the following….

• Alternating schedules or sticking to schedules that overlapped a bit so that we could switch out the car or drop the other person off.  in order to allow time for one of us to drop the other off.
• We got child care within walking distance of my college or I’d take baby Cedar to class with me.
• We never made small trips into town. If we needed stuff we did it all at once – hit the doctors, hit the grocery store, and thrift store, etc.

If unlike us, you live in an urban area, it’s way easier to cut one car from the family budget because you can…

• Take public transportation.
• Car-pool with another person or family.
• Walk or bike to work and school.
• Have one parent work at home if possible, or at least work PT from home – more and more jobs are working out ways that employees can do this.
• Try a car share like Zipcar.
• Rent a car if one is needed for a temporary change in schedule.

It’s not totally easy to live with just one car in a family with more than one adult, but it is possible, and not as bad as you think. You save a ton of money and lower your carbon footprint as a bonus.

Could your family manage with just one car?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

The Consumerist warns us about the risk we take when we sign up for coffee subscriptions.  There is no possible way I could drink that much coffee.

I have used plastic on my windows before to help keep my heating costs down.  I never thought of using bubble wrap.  This is a pretty neat idea as it is easier to install and uses something that you probably have at home.

My husband makes great eggrolls, but I am thinking about trying this recipe which claims to be the world’s best egg roll recipe.  Since this recipe makes so many eggrolls, you could easily make these and freeze them for future meals.  This would definitely be a time and money saver.

If you’re looking to give the gift of time this Christmas, you might consider making a personalized coupon.  These work well for services such as babysitting, foot massages, or coffee together and also for future plans for a concert or event.

Have you found any interesting links lately?

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Know your food costs: Track food costs for about a month so you get a fair idea of where your money is going. Divide the costs into necessary foods (bread, milk, eggs) and unnecessary food costs (cookies, soda, dips). You should also keep track of how often you eat out and those costs too.

Set a target: Do you want to cut $50, $100, more? Set a target then start thinking about how you can manage to meet that goal.

Make some decisions: After looking at your food bill costs, decide what’s necessary to keep and what can be tossed. For example, hummus is not a totally necessary food, but lots of people like it, and it’s healthier than say chips if you use it as a dip for whole wheat crackers or veggies. Soda or energy drinks or candy would all be better to cut. Don’t cut in access though which can lead to splurging.

Have a solid plan: Get a decent cookbook with low cost healthy meals and browse through. See what’s manageable and what’s not. Make your grocery list accordingly. Don’t buy stuff you won’t cook – you’re overshooting. Once you know some meals you will cook, make your grocery list, and when you go shopping don’t get other items – unless you see a killer sale on a healthy item, say black beans or veggies stick to that list.

Make the plan stick: Easy ways to make sure you stick to the plan include cooking in bulk and freezing meals – you’ll be less likely to impulse buy if you know you have dinner ready to go in the freezer. Eat dinner as a family. You can also shop while NOT hungry, and shop without the rest of the family, if that’s possible.

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Assuming you’ll always be a two income family and not planning for survival as a one income family:

SO many things can happen to a two income family. Couples break up – yes even when you don’t see it coming, people get sick and can’t work, people get pregnant and make a decision not to work, layoffs occur, and sadly sometimes the worst happens and one of a couple dies. The problem is that too few people plan for one income living, when they should be planning now.

You should ALWAYS have a good emergency plan in place that includes many months of expenses saved up, life insurance in place for both mothers and fathers, and a general idea of what you could do to make more money or cut expenses should the worst happen. It’s not fun to think about this stuff, but if something does happen you’ll be glad you did.

Not being prepared for a medical emergency or crisis:

In general, most families are luckily healthy and doctor visits involve basic care only. However, if someone in your family did get seriously sick or injured could you afford it? Research out of Harvard found that 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems—and 78% of those filers had insurance. This partially plays into the trap above, not planning for one income, but there are other issues at stake as well.

If you want to manage medical emergencies you should splurge on health insurance above almost all else. Yes it can cost more on an on-going basis, but should something happen you’ll be super glad you did buy lots of insurance. However, it’s not enough to simply buy more health insurance, you also need to really read the fine print and choose plans that are right for your family.  You also should consider disability insurance so you’re protected ongoing should you be hurt and unable to work. Additionally prevention is one of the cheapest solution here. Stay healthy, exercise, eat well, and be smart – i.e. don’t drive drunk.

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Prepare the foods yourself.  Don’t go out to the ham store and order a precooked ham or turkey.  I’ve heard of some people paying $30-40 for a precooked ham.  Yikes!

Shop the pre-Thanksgiving sales.  Some stores offer tremendous weekly specials to lure you in.  Look for buy 1 get 1 free specials on vegetables, potatoes, stuffing, and frozen pies.  When the turkey and sweet potatoes hit rock bottom prices, go ahead and buy those too.  Make sure you freeze the turkey and follow these safety tips to avoid food-related illness.

Ask others to contribute. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner by yourself is a big undertaking and it’s costly too.  Most people will ask what they can bring.  I recommend suggesting something easy like a pie and green bean casserole.  If you can’t think of anything at the moment, tell them you’ll get back to them in a few days.  If the person doesn’t offer to bring anything, you can say, “Is there a special dish you like that you’d like to bring?”. 

Borrow or use natural decorations.  Avoid spending money or new decorations.  See if someone has something you can borrow.  If not, go outside and gather pretty fall colored leaves, pinecones, acorns, etc.  If you’re looking to save money on new decorations, try stores like Michael’s and A.C. Moore.  Many of them offer 50% off sales before the holiday.  Sometimes The Dollar Tree has some good finds.

You might also want to read Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner.

What ways can you save on Thanksgiving dinner?

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Stay put: Holiday travel is more expensive than traveling at other times of the year and bonus, it’s hyper stressful with long lines, crowds, and layovers due to nasty winter weather. Stay put. Call your family on the holidays to say. “I love you” and all of that, but honestly, does it really matter when you see your family if you typically only see them once or twice a year anyhow? I’ve always thought that visiting during the holidays only is totally overrated. Go visit in April instead!

Go potluck style: Potlucks aren’t as tacky as some people think, in fact some can be elegant and they create an easy-low-stress environment right from the start. Have everyone bring a dish or two, lay them out on a long table and sit on the floor with plates. Casual, more fun, less stress, and fewer groceries you’re responsible for.

Skip Black Friday: I KNOW people love this day, but it’s so freaking stressful. All the crowds, all the running out of deals, all the hassle. Save sanity and time, and skip it. Shop on a school day, early morning when the stores are less busy and when there’s less pressure. This will save you money because you’ll be clear headed enough to stop and consider all purchases.

Make it a gift card Christmas: Instead of spending lots o’ cash and time looking and looking for the perfect gifts, buy gift certificates in bulk. Good ones that won’t cost the farm include movie theaters, Whole Foods, iTunes, the local coffee shop, or Borders. $25-40 will get you a lot at all these places – well, except the movies nowadays, but it’s still enough for a nice day or evening out.

Keep entertainment low-key at parties: Easy finger food, drinks, friends and a nice garland or two is seriously enough to get a holiday party started. Pull out a low-cost white board for Pictionary and rent a movie suitable for kids, so that other people aren’t stressed out with having to find a sitter. Really, having a holiday party with a kid’s area will make you the most popular party thrower of the season.

How are you keeping the holidays low-stress and low-cost this year?

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Directions:

• Unwrap your peppermint lifesavers and set aside.
• Precut your ribbon and set aside. (You can use your craft store coupons to save money on ribbon.)  The ribbon should be about four inches long. 
• Melt the chocolate.  Put a little dab of melted chocolate in the center of some of the peppermints.  You should do this on the back side of the peppermint so that the words Life Savers does not show up on top of the pacifier. 
• Place a mini jelly bean on top of melted chocolate in center.  Set down on flat service to dry and harden. 
• While the pacifier tops are drying, attach the ribbon to the other peppermints (pacifier handles).
• Using melted chocolate, attach pacifier bottoms to pacifier tops.  Let them dry/harden.

These can be arranged on a table as a decoration, set out as refreshments, or placed into favor boxes for your guests.

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Not only are foodborne illnesses serious from a medical standpoint, but they take time away from your family, and can create costly medical bills. This Thanksgiving, make sure your family plays it safe with the following resources…

• A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey
• If you have a specific turkey question you can call the Butterball Turkey Talk Line (1-800-BUTTERBALL) all throughout November and December.
• Countdown to the Thanksgiving Holiday – heavy on the safety aspects.
• Food safety for a successful community meal (pdf) – this guide focuses on transporting food safely, say to a relative’s home for the holidays, how to safely plan family meals like a potluck, and covers all sorts of other useful tips as well.

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Check for leaks: Although you hear horror stories about leaks, unless they’re insane leaks, they don’t cost you that much in cash. However, wasting water is never cool, not from a green-minded or budget minded standpoint so checking for leaks is smart. A major reason to look for leaks is because one little leak may be part of a larger, more costly issue.

To check for toilet leaks…

Quiet leaks are tricky. Unlike a running toilet, which you can hear and does waste a ton of water, a quiet or silent leak won’t make an obvious sound. Flush your toilet and as the reservoir is filling, add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring to the water. Have a cup of tea, then head back to your bowl. If the water in the bowl changes color, the flapper valve should be replaced.

If you get a leak or another sketchy toilet issue, you can try to fix it yourself (ONLY if you’re sure you won’t make it worse). Toiletology 101 offers many excellent tips and tricks for all sorts of toilet problems. Or you can consult your own handy fix-it book, which, if you own a home is really a super smart investment. The Official Rent-A-Husband Guide to a Safe, Problem-Free Home: Quick, Easy, and Effective Solutions for Do-It-Yourselfer Improvements and Repairs – this book has a stupid name (um, yeah, only men can fix things – lame), but is actually pretty good for simple home fixes. Another more in-depth  book is Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos.

To save more money…

Take a picture. Toilets have some seriously weird components at times. If you’re not sure what a part is, or if you should mess with it, take a photo then head to the local hardware store. The folks there should be able to tell you what you need to fix it.

Make sure people are using the toilet correctly – for example, you may think your toilet is acting up, but really people just aren’t flushing right. With many low-flows you really do need to hold that handle down for a count of five. Also instruct family not to put things in the toilet that could damage it in the long term. Most toilets can’t handle small toys, tampons, and other stuff.

Don’t wait too long to call a professional. Seriously, water damage to your home is WAY more costly than any toilet repair – heck, you could put in a brand new toilet for less than what water damage will cost, so don’t under budget for a repair that you really should hire help for.

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My coupon binder is so unorganized right now.  I haven’t clipped coupons in about a month.  This morning I spent about 30 minutes looking through coupons and clipping coupons.  Not a bad investment of time for the money saved.

Here’s a look at what I got today.  I spent about $21 but saved around $53.  That’s a savings of about 70% which is right on target for my triple coupon deals.

Heinz ketchup 32 oz $2.69
10/4 SS $.75 = $.44
*Smaller sizes are available for free, but this was a better deal for my family.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights $1.85
$.50 10/25 or 10/4 GM = $.35
*The two pack is available for $2.19.

Dial complete hand soap $2.25 reg
$2 sale, $.50q 10/4 SS = $.50

Windex cleaner $2.99 reg
$1.99 sale, $.55 tear off = $.34

Mueller’s noodles $1.49-$2.19 reg
$1.00-$1.50 sale, $.55 q off 2 from 10/4 SS = $.35-$.85 for 2

Fleischmann’s yeast $.99
$.40 q 10/4 SS = FREE

Skippy Peanut Butter 40 oz $5.99 reg
bogo sale $3, $.50 q 10/4 RP = $1.50

General Foods International Coffee Coolers $2.39
$.75 q 10/4 SS = $.14

Carnation Evaporated milk $1.25
$1 sale, $.50q off 2 11/1 RP, $.50 for 2

Prego spaghetti sauce $2.35
$.75q off 2 from 10/4 SS, $2.45 for 2

Chef Boyardee microwave bowls $1.29 reg
$1 sale, $.50q off 2 from 10/4 SS = $.80 for 2
also $.40q off 1 = FREE

Mazola olive oil cooking spray $2.99 reg
bogo sale, $1.50, $.50q 10/4 SS = FREE

Eggo waffles $2.35 – $.55q 10/4 RP = $.70

Pepperidge Farm garlic cheese toast $3.69 reg
$3 sale, $.60q = $1.20

Jimmy Dean D-Light bowls $3.19
$1.99 sale, $.55q RP = $.34

Kozy Shack pudding $3.29
bogo sale $1.64, $.35q 10/4 SS = $.59

Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, 6 pk
$2.50 – $.60q 11/1 SS = $.70

Nesquick single chocolate milk $1.69 – $.50q 11/1 = $.19

Coffee Mate flavored creamer 16 oz $2.39
$.50q on bottle or $.50 from 11/1 RP = $.89
(32 oz is $3.39 – $.50q = $1.89)

Sale items:

Martha White muffins, reg $1.19 each
bogo sale $.59 (I bought 4.)

Pillsbury flour $2.65-$2.95
$.99 sale (I bought 2.)

Campbell’s cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup $1.39 reg
bogo sale, 2/$1.39

Crisco oil $4.39
bogo sale $2.20 each

Other deals:

Fleischmann’s pizza yeast $.99
$.50 q 10/4 = FREE

Preggo Broth $2 sale – $.50 10/4 GM = $.50

Hormel Pepperoni $1.99 – $.50q 11/1 SS = $.49

Do you have any coupon match-ups to share?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy