Today, as I was in the shower, I started to reach for my shampoo, I stopped myself remembering that it was not my shampoo day.
Huh?
Let me explain. 😉
Financially, things are always tight around here. I think that is becoming a common theme in many households.
I have made some small adjustments lately to stretch our budget just that tiny bit further. Some are actually a bit silly, and really may not save us a whole lot of money, but I feel better doing them. A couple of mine are:
I have a favorite shampoo and conditioner, and I can’t imagine not using them. But….they cost an ever-loving fortune. I have started only washing and conditioning my hair every 3rd day. The way I look at it, my shampoo and conditioner cost $40 and I used to use a bottle a month. So, that was $480/year! By using every 3rd day, I can save about $320 a year, and still get to use my favorites.
I have stopped wearing socks inside as often. We live in military housing. And while this is by far the nicest military housing I have ever been in, it still has very cheap, poorly grouted ceramic tile. The tile is like sandpaper to my sock. I would go through about a pack of 6 socks every month. By cutting back on wearing them inside the house, I have made this last pack last over 5 months! At $16 a pack, that is $160/yr I am saving.
What is a small change you have made to save a little bit of money?
I have started using coupons. I only use 2-3 each purchase and mostly on beauty products, not food. It doesn’t save me hundreds of dollars on my groceries like extreme couponers but that’s too much to deal with for me anyway.
I love milk! But it has been very pricey lately. I now only have it for breakfast instead all three meals during the day.
I have been drinking more water before and between meals. This helps me eat less during meals and for snacks because my stomach is full of water which helps me with my budget and my weight loss!
I have not calculated my savings for any of these but it makes me feel better nonetheless.
I have done about the same as Lindsay plus a couple other things. When I open a new box of dryer sheets I cut them in half. I stopped Netflix and now get movies from the public library. I was using refurbished ink cartridges, but my computer wouldn’t often recognize them so now I buy new, but use the large capacity ones. I actually pay $5.00 more, but get 3 times the copies with it. I stopped magazine subscriptions and use their online sites. I pay attention to shipping costs verses driving to pick something up; gas v/s shipping. Shipping usually wins out. I never pay full price for a book; I buy used.
For a while I was coloring my own hair. At first it looked OK but after a while it started to go a weird shade of orange and I knew I was in trouble. Some things just aren’t worth saving money on, because you get what you pay for sometimes!
Love the dryer sheet cutting idea from Patti! I started coloring my own hair, it takes pretty well because its only a few shades lighter and its $6 instead of $60. Also I buy my nice shampoo from ebay and its half price, you just have to find a great person to buy it from!
The biggest expense for me is always food. I have been trying SO hard to make all my own meals and not eat in restaurants! Its HARD!!!
Also shampooing your hair every other day is supposed to be better for your hair.
xoxo
It’s silly but when we make a turkey sandwich, we use one piece instead of two so the package lasts twice as long…Anthony tends to put like 3-4 pieces on his sandwich lol.
We also share face wash and shampoo, I gave up on my expensive one.
I also dye my own hair but i have never had any issues and its very cheap. Now if I could only cut my own hair, we would be good!
No more pedicure for momma either. I use to go every 2 weeks, now I’m lucky if its once every 2 months.
Wwe do random other little stuff I can’t think of right now but it helps in the long run.
I have cut out the lattes, and everyday I cry a little.
All the kids clothing is from thrift store/ebay/consignment shops. I haven’t bought clothes for myself in forever. I’ve had to stitch up the hubs pants and work shirts often.
Groupon like sites are the only way we eat out, get my hair done, family activities, etc.
Its blackberry season so I have picked a ton of wild blackberries and made 24 jars of jam.
Hubs quit sending his clothes out for dry cleaning and we wash them on delicate and I iron them.
A lot of my chicken recipes are just one breast and sliced up rather than doing a breast a person with a large amount of rice, potatoes, pasta. It fills the tummy fast.
Now we are talking about cutting the cable and internet.