Do Cloth Diapers Really Save Money?

I know using cloth diapers has saved our family lots of money, but I was thinking about it the other day and wondering just how much we have saved by using cloth.  So I thought I would run some numbers for fun!  These are estimates, but I think they're probably pretty good estimates.

- I figured based on what we have done so far - about 6.25 years total (between all three kids).
- Most disposable diapers are packaged to last about a week, so that's what I went with.
- I used the cheap-o disposable diapers price of about $7 a package.
- I estimated about $3 a month for wipes, based off prices I saw and how many wipes I typically use.
- I figured about $1 a week as the cost of laundering cloth diapers.  (This one's a really rough estimate - I really have no idea, but I don't think it's that much, especially in the summer when I line-dry diapers.)
- I figured in our total out-of-pocket cost of buying cloth diapers and supplies (about $100).

Based on these numbers, so far, we have saved about $2075.  I was actually kind of disappointed with that number - I had thought it would be more.  But that's still A LOT of money that we haven't had to spend!   And I'm keeping in mind that:

- Although the final number isn't as big as I thought, that $28 or so that we save each month does make a difference in our budget (and especially the $56 a month we saved when we had two in diapers!).
- That number doesn't include how much we've saved using cloth training underwear instead of Pull-ups (that is probably a large number, too, especially considering that Joanna has been out of diapers for nearly a year and still does not stay dry at night).
- That's just how much we've saved so far.  We'll have saved even more by the time Ezra and this next baby are out of diapers.
- That number would nearly double if I figured it based on buying more natural disposable diapers (which would be my preference if I were using disposables).


However, the number that did really amaze me was the number of diapers we've used over the years.  By averaging that each child has used about 7 diapers a day (infants use more but toddlers use slightly less), I learned that we have gone through well over 15,000 diapers!  I can't even imagine the garbage pile that would be made by 15,000 diapers (and growing).  Even if the money and health savings (because of less chemicals) weren't a factor, for me that's enough of a reason to stick with cloth!

Benjamin's $15 Summer Wardrobe or Why Kids Don't Need a Lot of Clothes

We have been very blessed to have had to buy very little clothes for our kids.  Our kids get clothes for gifts a lot (I am all for practical gifts!), and we've gotten hand-me-downs, too.  We've purchased the most for Benjamin - and that's still not a lot - and just a few things for Joanna and Ezra.
So it was a little strange for me when at the beginning of summer I realized Benjamin had nothing to wear for the coming season (well, okay, he had one short-sleeved shirt).  I wasn't going to go out and spend a bunch of money for a new wardrobe, and I've always believed that kids don't need a ton of clothes, so I was kind of curious to see just how much he actually needed for the summer.

I started out by looking through my fabric stash (including clothing I'd saved for repurposing) and found a few fabrics that were boy-friendly.  I made Benjamin three pairs of shorts, but he didn't like one pair for some reason, so that brought us down to two.

I purchased two plain t-shirts ($4 each), and with the one he already had, that made three shirts.  I chose plain t-shirts so that he would be able to mix and match them with his shorts.

He also had a pair of sandals that had been given to us.

After a couple of weeks, I felt that two pairs of shorts and three shirts weren't quite enough, so I found an inexpensive shirt/shorts set for $7 and added that to his wardrobe.  With those, I feel like he had the perfect amount of clothes for the summer.

While this small amount of clothes might not work for everyone, here's why it worked for us and why I think kids don't need very many clothes:

- I wash clothes every 2-3 days, mainly just to keep the laundry pile under control, and because I line-dry, which takes longer than the dryer.  However, washing every few days also allows you to have fewer clothes, because you don't need a week's worth of clothes.  Also, I don't put clothes in the laundry if they aren't actually dirty, we wear them again.

- I rarely change my kids' clothes during the day, even if they get a little dirty.  I no longer use bibs on Benjamin, but I would if he were still a messy eater.  Also, I don't worry too much about little stains on kids clothes, for a few reasons:
a) Kids are messy.
b) I can't spend all day changing clothes (nor do I want to spend all day arguing with the child who hates changing clothes).
c) Their clothes would likely get stained no matter what I did.
d) I have enough things to worry about!

- Benjamin rarely needs to change clothes during the day.  Being potty-trained for well over a year now, Benjamin almost never has an accident, so he doesn't really need "back-up" clothes.  However, I couldn't have gotten away with just three pairs of shorts with Joanna, because, being newly potty-trained, she still has accidents and sometimes goes through two or three pairs of shorts in a day.

- Kids don't feel the need to wear different clothes all the time; in fact, they usually love wearing the same things over and over!  I remember having a couple of favorite outfits as a kid - things I wore pretty much every day!  Joanna received a bunch of hand-me-downs from a friend, so she has about 8 or 9 summer outfits, but even still, she has a couple of things that she wants to wear all the time.

- I have found that only having 1-2 pairs of shoes at a time (depending on the season) is ideal for a few reasons:
a) Again, kids like wearing the same thing over and over.
b) Kids outgrow shoes quickly.  Joanna is on her 4th shoe size in less than a year and a half.  They are barely worn before they're outgrown.
c) Kids usually don't need different shoes for different occasions.  A plain, nicer pair of tennis shoes can work for both play and church.  For Joanna's first three sizes of shoes, we had a pair of cute, sturdy Mary-Jane style shoes that went with both jeans and dresses.

- Having fewer clothes makes it easier for kids to get dressed.  Children can get overwhelmed easily, so having fewer choices helps them make a decision and get dressed more quickly.  It helps me, too, when I'm the one choosing clothes!

Of course, having a small wardrobe is great for other reasons, too:

- Having fewer things reinforces our values.  I'm not saying that having things is necessarily bad (I like my things and I definitely have more than I need), but I want to teach our kids that we don't need a lot of stuff, and that we can and should be happy and content with what we have.  Kids are naturally like this anyway, and it's my hope that they can stay that way.

- Having only a minimal amount of clothes is something anyone can do to reduce their clothes budget.  Not everyone sews, and not everyone has friends or family to give them clothes, but anyone can limit how much they buy.

- When you buy less, you can sometimes afford to buy better quality, so your clothes will last longer.  This is something I'm still learning!  Just keep in mind that more expensive doesn't always mean better quality!

- Less stuff takes up less room.  This is very important when three children share a bedroom!  It's also important when you are storing outgrown clothes for siblings (we're currently at 10 boxes and counting!).

Simple Syrup

On a whim, I gave Seth a French press for Christmas, thinking he could make his daily coffee himself, quickly and simply. Thankfully, he loves it and uses it almost every day. We have been buying flavored syrup for his coffee, but then came across this simple recipe for making our own. He likes vanilla flavor, so I added a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Seth says that his coffee tastes just as good as it did with the purchased syrup. I love that it is super quick and easy, all natural (and no corn syrup!), and less expensive. And it always makes me feel so good to be able to make something myself!

An Amazing Bargain!

Most people know I love a good deal. But this goes beyond a good deal - this is absolutely amazing...I'm still kind of in shock about this. So take a look at what I got:

All this for....are you ready for it? $6.78!!!! Yep, that's right. 30 pounds of honey (about a year's supply for us), two boxes of Wheaties (Seth loves these, but we don't buy them very often because they're so expensive, and they never go on sale), Sesame oil (I'm hoping to try a lip balm recipe with this), and a bouquet of flowers.

So how did I do it? Well, a couple of months ago I signed up for the Amazon Mom program, mostly to get the free three-month membership to Amazon Prime, since I thought the free shipping on any order would come in handy during the holiday season. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got an email asking me to try out Amazon Fresh, their grocery delivery service. As an incentive, they gave me a coupon for $100 off an order of $100 or more! I have never seen a coupon that good! That was enough of an incentive for me! I had expected to pay around $10 - $15 for shipping, which would still have made it an excellent deal, but it was only $5.99 - even better! So my order totaled $100.79 - $100 coupon, + $5.99 shipping, which gave me a grand total of $6.78! And the flowers were a free gift for a first-time customer!

I had originally planned to buy honey and coconut oil (the most expensive things in my grocery budget), as well as the few smaller items, but they were out of the coconut oil that I wanted. I discovered that I could get a really good deal on the honey by buying 6 jugs, so I went with that, and with the other few things I wanted, the total worked out perfectly!

This was such a gift from God, and such a blessing to me!!!

A new use for olive oil...

If you're like me and reuse glass bottles and jars you get with food (like salad dressing bottles or pasta sauce jars) then you have probably dealt with the frustration of labels not coming off nicely or leaving sticky residue. When this happens, I usually use vinegar to get the residue off, which often, but not always, works. But I read somewhere about olive oil removing sticky stuff - so the last time I had a label not come off very well, I tried it. I sprayed some olive oil on the sticky spot and left it for a few minutes. When I wiped it with my washcloth, the residue wiped right off! Yay for olive oil!

One of my new favorite things...

...hydrogen peroxide!

Several months ago I read a blog post on the wonderful stain-removing power of hydrogen peroxide, and decided to try it on several stains on our carpet. I was amazed at how well it worked! I was so happy - I did not want to pull out the Resolve with a little guy on the carpet all the time. Since then, I've also used it on our very dirty white couch, with great success! I'll be trying it on clothes next, but so far I'm am very pleased with the results I've gotten from using it! I screwed a spray bottle top onto the bottle, which worked really well on the couch, but I've found that it worked better on the carpet if I just poured it on, perhaps because it's able to go down into the carpet instead of just sitting on top. I'm happy to have another cheap, safe way to clean!

Cloth diapering without the huge investment!

I was recently reading a blog post in which the writer estimated the cost of buying "prefold" cloth diapers at around $350. This estimate was based on buying different sizes of prefolds, which I'm not familiar with, but I thought I'd share my method of cloth diapering, since I know from my experience that cloth diapering doesn't have to cost that much. In fact, when I started adding things up, everything I have only cost about $100 (and I've only spent around $30!). I thought that this might be helpful to someone who wants to use cloth but doesn't have several hundred dollars to spend on it!

Prefolds are the only kind of diapers I've used, so I can't compare them to other kinds of diapers, but I can give you my thoughts on using them! Since I've never tried the newer fancier diapers, perhaps I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm okay with that, since I'm perfectly happy with what I'm doing!

Diapers: I have Gerber one-size prefold diapers. Since they are one-size they are used from newborn up to toddler. The smaller the baby is, the smaller you fold them. I still fold them down some with Benjamin, and they have plenty of room for him to grow. The Tightwad Gazette showed how two diapers can be put together if needed, for a larger child (I don't know if I'll have to try that eventually or not). I only used them on Benjamin a couple of times when he was a newborn, as I had been given a supply of disposables which lasted the first two months. They were a little bulky folded up so much, but they worked. I had initially bought a package of 3-ply diapers, but then found 6-ply, which I liked much better, as they are much more absorbant (the 3-ply ended up as burp rags!). I have found three dozen to be the perfect number for me - allowing me to wash every 2-3 days, with enough to last an extra day while the washed diapers dry (I line dry).
I have had no problems with using prefolds. I don't think they really take any more time than using disposables - and they have saved so much money! I use pins with mine and so far have not poked Benjamin! =) I like to use baby powder (cornstarch works great, too!) with mine and change him every 3-4 hours, although he does go longer sometimes. He gets pretty wet at night, so I like to double his diaper (two folded together). I've been using mine for about 7 months total (minus the time I've used disposables I've been given), and they are still in very good shape. I would expect them to last at least through a couple of kids.

Plastic Pants: I use the traditional plastic pants with my diapers. I tried some "wraps" that someone gave me but found they leaked almost every time. I have only had a couple of leaks with using plastic pants, and no wet leaks - only a few leaks with major "explosions". I have had far less leaks with these than with disposables! The main thing to watch with these is that you cover up the diaper all the way - if part of the diaper is sticking out from the plastic pants, uncovered, the clothes will get wet from it. Sometimes these do get ripped from a fingernail or whatever. I have repaired them by putting some hot glue on the rip. These come in different sizes, and I reccommend around 6 of each size. I bought small, and I have medium that someone passed on to me, which are older and better quality than the ones I bought new. The newer ones were thinner and so probably would rip easier, but they do work just fine. I have Gerber brand, which are made of vinyl. I have heard from a few different sources that nylon are better quality and last longer, but they are a little more expensive. I plan to buy my large size in nylon, but I haven't personally tried them yet.

Pins: I have the traditional diaper pins with the colored plastic head. I think I have about five pairs, but two or three pairs would be sufficient.

Wipes: I use cloth wipes as well - since I'm already washing diapers, it makes sense to save that extra money and wash wipes too! I use flannel cut up into squares and serged around the edges (a zig zag stitch would work as well). Instead of wetting them and putting them in the wipe container, I have a bottle of slightly soapy water, and I wet them as I needed them. (See this post.) This way I don't have to worry about the wipes getting moldy if I don't use too many.

Diaper Pail: I purchased a kitchen-size garbage can with a lid. The only time I ever have noticed a smell is right when I open the lid, and it disappears quickly. I have been very impressed with the lack of smell - I hadn't expected a non air-tight garbage can to keep the odor in so well. I clean it with my vinegar cleaner every few months or so.


Cost:
Now I'll give the amount that it would take to buy everything - but there are several things you can do to keep from spending even this much!

36 diapers - I bought mine at Target. A package of 12 6-ply (3-ply are a little bit less) costs $16.99 - Total: $51.00 + tax

Plastic Pants: 6 of each size - The only store I was able to find these at was Babies'R'Us. The first three sizes should get you through at least the first year. A package of three costs $4.49, so, purchasing two packages of each three sizes means a total cost of: $27.00 + tax. If you wanted to purchase nylon, they can be found online for $3.99 for two pairs.

Wipes: Buy a yard of flannel, cut it up into squares, and serge or zig zag stitch around the edges. You can find flannel on sale or clearance at Wal-Mart or Jo-Ann's for around $2-3 a yard. Total cost: $2-3

Pins: Babies 'R' Us had a package of three pairs for $1.50. Total cost: $1.50 + tax

Diaper Pail: I bought mine at Target or Fred Meyer for around $7. Total cost: approx. $7.00 + tax

Even if you have to buy everything, you can cloth diaper your baby for an intial investment of around $90 - less than $100 after tax.

Like I said, I haven't spent nearly this much, so here are some ideas to reduce that cost:
1. Let people know that you are cloth diapering. If you register for gifts, put diapers, pins, and plastic pants on your registery. People may buy these for you. I didn't purchase any pins, and I have around 5 pairs that I was given as gifts. Also, some people will pass on their diapering supplies that they are no longer using. I received some plastic pants, diaper wrap covers (which I didn't keep because they leaked), and around 20 diapers, which I use for backup in case I ever need them (I probably will with diapering two!). I don't really use them now because they are a little thinner than the 6-ply. But they do work, and I could have bought one less package of diapers! I wouldn't ever buy used diapers, just my own personal preference, but since these were from someone I knew, I was okay with using them.
2. Use gift cards! Two of the packages of diapers and the plastic pants I bought were purchased using gift cards I got at one of Benjamin's showers.
3. Use what you have! You can cut up extra flannel receiving blankets for wipes. I happened to have some flannel in my fabric stash that I used, which worked great and didn't cost me anything. I have also seen a tutorial for making your own prefold diapers out of receiving blankets.
4. When I was checking on the prices for plastic pants, I realized that they had changed the sizes slightly, making each size fit for less time (essentially meaning that you will have to buy more sizes!). I have heard that you can skip a size without having leaking problems, so you could try that to save some money.

So far, I have only spent around $30 on cloth diapering, and I am very happy with my decision to use cloth diapers!

Saving money, Tightwad Style

I recently re-read one of my favorite books - The Complete Tightwad Gazette. Whenever I read it, I'm always inspired to try to be more creative with my things - not only to buy less and save money, but also to not be so wasteful and throw so much away.

Since my last reading, here are a few things I have been doing:

* I started using bar soap, which is cheaper than liquid. I don't know if this is something I'll continue doing, since I prefer liquid, and bars cause soap scum to build up on the sink. I may try a different brand and see how that goes.
* I didn't have a soap dish, so instead of buying one, I filled a glass candy dish with small decorative rocks that I had and used that.
* Instead of buying a small travel jar of baby powder for Benjamin's diaper bag, I filled an empty spice jar with corn starch. It works perfectly, since it has the "sprinkle" top.
* I've always saved fabric scraps that are big enough to be used for quilt squares, but I usually throw away little bits and pieces. I started saving those little bits, and will use them instead of polyester stuffing in some things. I don't think that would work for everything (it probably wouldn't be as nice for a pillow, for example) but for some things it will work just fine. I almost used this in one of Benjamin's fabric blocks, and it would have worked really well, but I didn't have quite enough scraps, so I'll just save them for my next project!
* Something I started doing that I didn't think I would ever do is reusing baggies. I read about this years ago, but the idea didn't appeal to me. But my thoughts changed recently when I was about to throw away a baggie that had held half of a washed tomato. Suddenly it seemed wasteful to throw away a baggie that had hardly been used and was perfectly good. So I've started washing and reusing some baggies. I don't reuse baggies that held meat, cheese, or anything really messy or greasy, but I no longer just toss the ones that held a few crackers or veggies.

I know these all seem like little things that don't really make a difference. But like anything, saving money is a way of thinking - it's a lifestyle. I want to be content with less and be more creative with the things I have. I want to be a better steward of all the resources I have.

When the price is right...

I was out shopping for a baby gift today, and was browsing the clearance racks when I found toddler jackets on clearance for $2.24! I bought 6 of them, one of each size from 18 months up to 5T. I'll put these away and they'll come in handy as Benjamin grows! I got all 6 of them for well under the original price of 2! I was very happy with that find! =)

Free Things

Who doesn't like to get something for nothing? I was excited the other day when I opened up the mail and received a card good for $10 off any purchase of $10 or more at Office Max. I stopped there today and was able to get a package of printer paper, a box of security envelopes, and a package of file dividers, and only had to pay $1.39!

The learning of frugality...

My husband isn't exactly what I would call a "frugal" person. In some ways, he's really careful with his money, but he's never really been one to look for deals. Ever since marrying me, however, he's been a little more exposed to the frugal life. I try hard to keep a careful budget, and I love finding things as inexpensively as possible. And, I also love to share my good deals with him. Consequently, he's started to be a little more conscientious of bargains. There have been several times now where he has happily shared with me about a good deal he found. Just the other day I came home from work and he was excited to tell me about two cheesecakes he had picked up that were marked down half price because the store was no longer going to be carrying them. We are enjoying one of them and are keeping the other in the freezer for a time when we have company and need a quick dessert! Nice work, honey! =)

Cheap Shoe Storage

For a while our shoe storage consisted of a pile on the closet floor. More than once I'd have to dig for a while to find a shoe lost in the abyss. I tried lining the shoes up on the floor, but they'd eventually find their way back to a pile again. For a lot of things, organization consists of just containing something. I think shoes are one of those things. Many people buy shoe racks. I think these look nice, but most are more than I want to spend. Several times I have considered buying a hanging shoe organizer from Ikea, since they're only about $5, but I'm glad I didn't now, as I hardly have enough room in my closet to hang clothes and coats. Then, one day, my husband brought home an empty wooden wine crate from work. I knew I could use it for something, but it took me several days, if not a couple of weeks to find a good use for it. It is now my frugal shoe organizer. It perfectly holds my shoes - like it was made for them. The wooden slats that held the wine in the box made two nice compartments on each side of the crate that exactly holds all of my flip-flops, while the rest of my shoes fit nicely in the middle compartment. My shoes are in one place, nicely organized. In our old apartment, my husband's shoes still were in a pile, even after mine were organized. In our new home, the closet has three shelves. I decided to use one of them to house his shoes. They are stacked neatly on the shelf. He does have to dig a little bit for the ones that are on the bottom of the stack, but in this situation, containment is key. It works so much better than having them all over the floor!

Even the Small Things...

I love how God provides for us, in big ways and small...
I was out shopping a few days ago before Valentine's for a gift for Seth. After my initial idea didn't work, I decided to get him a frame for a Van Gogh print he's had for a while. We had agreed to try to stick to a $10 budget for Valentine's gifts this year, and I thought I probably could get a frame for that. I decided to go to Jo-Ann's, since I had a 40 percent off coupon. To stick to my budget, I needed to find a frame that would be $9 after the coupon. I got discouraged as I went through the frame aisle, though, as every frame I saw for the 11" by 14" size I needed was at least $20. That wasn't going to work. I said a quick prayer, asking God to provide something in my budget. I looked around some more, then came across a small section of frames for sale that were "oops" frames from the framing department. I looked at a couple, but they also were $20. But I looked a little more, and then came across one that was blue with a gold edge inside. It was the right size, and what's more, it was marked $8.99 on the back. It wasn't the black frame I had been looking for, but I thought that it might match the print. So I took it to the counter, and left it there while I brought the print in from my car, to see how it looked. The frame complemented the print perfectly, so I decided to get it. When the cashier rang up the frame, it came up for $20, but since it was marked $8.99, she gave it to me for that. Not only that, but she let me use my 40% off coupon, so I got the frame for only $5.87 with tax! I was able to stay within my budget and have enough money to buy a little candy to go with it! Seth thought the frame was perfect, and it now hangs in the living room in his little "guitar area".



Thank you, Lord, for your provision!

Exciting...

I'm looking forward to receiving a package in the mail! Using a gift card that was given to me for Christmas, I ordered The Complete Tightwad Gazette! I'm so excited to get it! I borrowed it from my mom a while back and read the whole thing front to back (it's a big book). It had so many good ideas in it, I knew that I'd want to get it sometime. I've read several "frugal" books, and out of all of them, this is one I would definitely recommend buying. It gives so many practical ideas for saving money - from recipes and gifts you can make yourself to using things you already have sitting around the house to replace things you might ordinarily buy. I can't wait until it comes!

More than Meatloaf

I've only made meatloaf a few times, but there are some things that I do when I make it that I wanted to share.

The recipe I use calls for round buttery crackers (like Ritz). As much as I love these crackers, I rarely buy them and so don't usually have them on hand. I substitute saltine crackers, which not only are a lot cheaper, but I usually have these in my cupboard.

The recipe also uses Worcestershire sauce, which although this is something most people probably have, I have never bought it, since I rarely need it. After looking at several recipes to make homemade Worcestershire sauce, I decided to use soy sauce with a little garlic powder instead.

Even with these substitutions, the meatloaf turns out great!

Whenever I make meatloaf, I make a full recipe, but only use half of it for meatloaf. Since there are only two of us, we don't need that much meatloaf. The other half of the recipe I turn into meatballs. I have found this to be a quick and easy way to get meatballs, which I then stick in the freezer. Then, when we have spaghetti, I pull out several meatballs and heat them up with the sauce.

Hope you find these ideas useful!

Gift Bags

I just thought I'd share this idea I found today. One of my kids gave me a present in this gift bag, and when I first saw it, I thought they had bought it like this. But when I looked a little closer, I saw that a piece of wrapping paper had been taped to one side of a normal brown paper bag. It made a really nice looking gift. A simple, inexpensive idea for wrapping smaller gifts....

Frugal Scrubber

I usually use a scrubber sponge when I am washing dishes and come across something that doesn't come off with just a washcloth. I have been buying packages of scrubbers, then cutting them into three smaller pieces so that they last longer (I thought that was being pretty frugal). I ran out of them, though a couple of weeks ago, but have got along without them fine since. I was washing dishes this afternoon and couldn't get a pan clean. I was about to leave it to soak for a while longer when I remembered something that I had in a drawer. When I was reading The Tightwad Gazette a while back, one suggestion had been to use onion bags as scrubbers. Afterwards, I had saved an onion bag I had, putting it into a drawer, but then forgetting about it until today. Remembering it in there, I decided to try it, so I pulled it out. I put my wash cloth inside the bag, then used it to scrub the pan. It worked wonderfully, just as well as a regular scrubber. It worked really well to have the wash cloth inside it, because then I had soap, and it was easier to hold on to. I was so pleased to find that this worked well! I may never buy scrubbers again. It might be frugal to cut scrubbers up, but it's even more frugal to use something that's free!

Coupons - to use or not to use?

Most "frugal" books that I've read tend to all say the same things. So I've found it interesting to find something that is "controversial" among those that consider themselves to be frugal. That is, some swear by it while others don't give it the time of day. Some people claim to save hundreds of dollars and get lots of stuff for practically nothing by using coupons, while others say that it isn't worth the time to search for coupons, and that when they do find them, they are usually for name-brand products they wouldn't buy anyway, or that are still more expensive than generic brands.

I tend to agree with those that think coupons aren't worth it. I personally don't use coupons very often. I purchase the majority of my groceries at the store my husband works at, where the prices are lower than most other stores, and I get a discount. Most of the products they sell are their own store brand, so manufacturers coupons don't work there anyway, and they don't put out store coupons. The rest of the things I buy I usually buy on sale, which often happen to be generic brand products. I don't have the time to spend looking for coupons, and the amount I would save probably wouldn't be worth it. Some stores in other parts of the country offer double or triple coupons, and then it is probably more worth the time spent looking for them. But around here, no stores do that. And since I am able to stick to a fairly frugal food budget without coupons, I don't really bother with them.

I will use them every once in a while, if I just happen to come across something I would use. I do have have a coupon envelope that I keep in my purse, mostly filled with coupons for 40% off something at a craft store or the Christian book store. I have found a few really good coupons that other people have posted on their blogs, like a coupon for a free bag of candy, or for $5 off a Polly Pocket toy. Since these are really good (i.e. free) coupons for something I would buy, I'll use them. My mom will give me good coupons sometimes, also, like a coupon for $5 off a Tylenol product. Since I have a hard time swallowing pills, I buy chewable Tylenol, so this coupon will save me a fair amount of money. This is the sort of coupon that is worthwhile to me. Most coupons aren't that worth it.

Shopping Day!

I spent a couple hours this morning doing my every-other-week grocery shopping trip. I used to go grocery shopping every week, but I have found that by doing it less, I don't spend as much. I'm not sure if it's because I don't buy as much extras, or if it's because I try harder to make things last longer, or because most things are sold in larger amounts than we use in one week, or what, but since it seems to be working, I keep doing it - plus it saves on gas, which around here is pretty important. The only drawback to this is that sometimes on my non-shopping week, there are some good sales that I miss out on. If it's a really good sale, though, like last week's oats, I might go get some anyway. Of course, by then, I've usually spent all my food money for the period, so, like I did last week, I have to take some money from somewhere else, and then I just replace it when I get the next period's food money.

For the last month, I've been trying really hard to lower our food budget even more than I already have. Until now, we've spent $200 a month on food, which is pretty good, but this month I tried doing it for $175. Since I get my food money twice a month, I have about $87 dollars to spend each time. So far, I've been able to do it. My one concern about lowering my food budget was that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of really good sales and stock up like I've been able to do. But since I was able to buy a bunch of oats last week, and it all ended up coming out of my food money, I'm more convinced now that I'll be able to stick to $175 a month. That will allow an extra $25 a month to go into savings! And like they say, every little bit helps!

One thing I do that has really helped me stick to my budget in food, as well as other areas like gas and entertainment, is that I use cash. This isn't a new idea, but it really works for me! In this "easy money" world of debit and credit cards, it helps me keep track of how much I'm spending and gives me a stopping point. It's so easy to swipe a debit card, and you forget how quickly even little purchases add up, which makes it easy to spend more than you want without realizing it. By putting my allotted amount into an envelope, I easily can see how much of my budget I'm using in any single transaction, and I know that when the money's gone, it's gone.

One other way to save a little extra money that I've found to be really easy is by saving change in a jar. I almost never use change at a store. Whenever I get change back, it goes straight into a jar. I have never missed it, and it's amazing to see how fast it adds up! Every few months, I roll up the coins and take them to the bank. I always have a nice little chunk that I either put into my special savings, or that I use to buy something that we needed. It's a nice way to save up for something special without feeling like you're taking money away from something else.

It's an Art!

A big part of any homemaker's job (especially those on a limited budget) is to make the household income go farther. One of the ways I try to do this (as it is one of the areas I have the most control over) is to feed my husband and I for the smallest amount possible. Of course one simple way to do this is to buy items on sale. The more items you can buy on sale, the more you'll save, with the goal being to buy everything on sale, to pay full price for nothing. But, stores don't always have things on sale when you need them. So then, you either have to do without or buy the item for full price. To avoid this problem, I have been trying to stock up on items that are a really good price, to last me until the item goes on sale again. However, the more I do this, the more I realize that it is somewhat of an art form. It takes thought, planning, and definitely some experience to be able to realize when something is a very good price, to be able to predict when it will go on sale again, and to be able to determine how much of that item you will need to last you until the next sale. If you are able to do this, however, it will undoubtably save you a lot of money in the long run. Of course, it does require you to spend a little more upfront, which can be hard for some people, but it can be done if you work it into your budget.

Since I'm still fairly new at running a household, this is an art I'm definitely still learning! A while back, one store had a really great deal on Quaker products, including oats. I bought a bunch of oats to put in my stock. For a while they just sat there, but then I started making homemade granola, and using them for other things, like granola bars and cookies. Then the other day, I realized that my stock of oats was almost gone. Since I didn't want to be without any oats if I should happen to need them, I put them on my list to buy on my next shopping trip. When I went grocery shopping, I found some oats on sale for $2.50. I knew that I had gotten my last stock for cheaper than that, but I couldn't remember exactly how much I had paid for them, and I didn't think that was a terrible price, so I bought one. I sure regretted that decision a few days later, when I opened the grocery store ads to find that great Quaker sale again! Oats were on sale for $1.00! I couldn't pass up this sale, since I knew what a great deal it was! It does take a bite out of my food budget to be able to do this, but I know I'll save quite a bit of money in the long run! Saving money certainly is a learning process!