Another way to save money...do it yourself!

A lot of times saving money is about doing something yourself. My husband and I have become pretty adept at this over the years. It doesn't hurt that we enjoy doing things ourselves. (Like remodeling for instance).

Anyway, below is a photo of my sweet dh changing the brakes )both front and back), on my van. We've been incredibly busy, and so I was going to have the dealership do it when I took the car in to be aligned. The brakes were going to cost $190 for rear brakes and $170 for front brakes!! Holy moley that is $360 total for new brakes!

Even though we were busy, it wasn't worth THAT much money. So, dh went and bought the brakes at Advanced Auto Parts. Cost: $60.00. Total savings $300! Oh, I am so glad that he can do this sort of thing!!

Saturday Savings

My grocery budget for the week was $100. That was what I was hoping to hit. Wednesday I went shopping for everything on my menu plan. My bill was $67.xx and I knew I had around $23.xx left to spend on some BOGO items later in the week when my coupons arrived. They arrived in the mail, and so I made a quick run to Publix to do a little stockpiling.

Since I haven't posted this in a while, here is what I bought for $25.xx. I actually saved more than I spent, which I haven't done in quite awhile!

Note: Unfortunately with my additional $58. Sam's club bill, I did end up being over budget by $60. I am going to try and be under budget next week, utilizing the things I have in the fridge, freezer and pantry.

I wanted to link to another opinion on warehouse stores like BJ's, Cosco etc. I mentioned my friend Jeannie has a large family and stores like Sam's club work for her and her family. I won't re-write it all.... I'll just send you over to her blog and you can read it in her own words.... Click Here.

Budget Blown

Okay, here is my dilemna and how I think I'm going to handle it.... I had to stock up on tons of necessities at our house. We were out of papertowels, and toilet paper completely. My stockpile has been long gone for awhile. We also were completely out of paper plates and cups. Unless there is a mjor deal somewhere I will typically buy these in bulk at Sam's club.

The problem is I went $58 dollars outside of my budget for this. Typically when I stock up like this it will last us 3 months. So I calculated 13 weeks to the 3 month point. I will have to reduce my budget by $4.50 a week. I know that sounds crazy....but it is what it is...

Now about Sam's club. I went in for 6 items, and when I came out I was shocked at the bill! I know shopping there can save money especially for larger families. But I also know that I can sometimes get a better deal at my local grocery store, or Walgreens or CVS using an advertised sale and coupons. Like TP.... I know I can do better, but for convenience sake I needed to stock up now. I will not have time in the coming month with a trip overseas to locate the deals and stock up. (And while my parents are here I'd really like for them to have TP). :-)

Anyone have thoughts on warehouse stores like Sam's Club, BJ's and Cosco? We don't have a Cosco around here, but I have friends who live near one, and I have heard great things about that store! They have some pretty nice stuff. How does it work for your family? I know my friend Jeannie has a large family and the larger quantities work for her. Unless Publix is running a major sale, I find that Sam's has the better price on meat and chicken. But I also have to be focused and stick to my list, or I'll come out of there with stuff I don't necessarily need.

Gas Hike

Oh my word! I never thought I would see this... really I didn't. I had heard of it happening in the 70s, but I was too young back then. People are circled around the block for gas in our neck of the woods. My dh just ran down to fill up both our vehicles while gas is still $3.59 gallon.

I heard from several parents at football that gas is supposed to jump $1.50 tomorrow, on account of Hurricane Ike. On our way home this evening at 8:30pm when the roads are typically clear, I noticed traffic busier than normal. Then I saw all the cars at the pumps. TONS! One parent told me that a few stations are closed because they ran out. One station we went to this morning had gas at $3.49/gallon. Tonight as we drove by it has already jumped to $4.09, and we understand it's headed up even more tomorrow!

It's crazy... and we aren't even in an area with a high cost of living. I can't imagine what it is jumping to in NY, California etc. What's it running where you live? Leave a comment... of what state you live in and how much gas is running right now.

New Menu Plan

Well, since my last post was all about how I'm lovin' having my menu plan back in action. Here's another one for this coming week. It's already on the fridge! Tomorrow is another crockpot day because we have football practice at two different fields. We haven't had a pot roast in a l-o-n-g time, so this should be well received by all the men in my family.

I am trying to use up some staples that I have on the shelf.. I haven't made Hamburger helper in a while either, and it's not exactly a favorite here... but it is easy and except for the meat, it's already paid for. :-) Meatball subs close out the week with the leftover meatballs being used for Italian night on Wednesday. (At least I can say I'm prepared!)

Thursday
Breakfast –Muffins/Fruit/OJ
Lunch – Sandwiches/Fruit
Dinner – Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots

Friday
Breakfast – Eggs/Toast/Fresh Fruit
Lunch – Baked Potato/Broccoli/cheese
Dinner- Stir fry Chicken and vegetables

Saturday
Breakfast- Biscuits and Homemade apple butter
Lunch- Hot Dogs/Baked Beans
Dinner- Hamburger Helper

Sunday
Breakfast- Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch – Omelet/Breakfast Sausage/Brunch
Dinner- Ravioli/ garden salad

Monday
Breakfast- Cin. Raisin French Toast
Lunch- Pizza and salad
Dinner- Chicken Fried Rice and Vegetables

Tuesday
Breakfast- Eggs/Toast/Fruit
Lunch- Deli Wraps/yogurt/fruit
Dinner- Meatball Subs

Wednesday
Breakfast- Waffles/Fruit
Lunch- Mish-mash whatever is leftover....

Dinner- Spaghetti and Meatballs

Works for Me Wednesday- Menu Plan!

What has been my biggest asset this week on the frugal forefront? My Menu Plan! I have loved getting into the swing of things again! My menu plan has kept us all on track, foodwise and spending wise. Everyone in our family automatically knows where to look if they want to know what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s right there on the fridge spelled out in black printer’s ink. No more guessing… no more wasted breath. I just have to say a few words…… “Look at the fridge”.

Here’s an example of how having a menu plan has benefited us this week. As I mentioned before, football has us all incredibly busy, and it has been hard to figure out meals, and quite frankly easier to just dine out. But that was killing our budget for the month. On the menu yesterday was a crockpot meal. Having that on the fridge allowed me to be prepared... ahead of time. So, yesterday evening I actually had a crock pot recipe waiting for us, when we all arrived home at 8:30pm! Let me tell you, with a ravenous husband and two equally hungry boys, this was a huge help! DH was quite pleased and it was just a great time to de-stress, have some dinner and talk about our day as a family.

It’s helped our budget too. There is no question about what’s for dinner… and so no last minute decisions to eat out. There are also fewer stops to the grocery store as we try to buy what we need ahead of time. I do need to improve in my number of trips to the store. My goal is to only go to the grocery store once. But if I have to go back for milk as a staple later in the week then I’ll cut myself some slack. I think part of my problem is our grocery store is like 5 minutes from my house, and is a social place. I always run into friends there! So, who wouldn’t want to shop there more often? LOL!

So, this week’s success for me is my Menu Plan. It has saved both time and money, plus helped me to feel a lot more organized!

Savings $10/week- Does it make a difference?

I absolutely loved this article on savings! And not just because it talks about coins in your couch making a difference.... (but that was pretty cool!)

No, this woman talked about how $10 could really make a difference. The same advice I was given when I was just starting out newly married... that I chose to ignore. I wish I had this article that could have explained it logistically to me back then. I'd be better off today.

She has written and shown how much money you would have accumulated after 30 years if you saved $10 a week. Here is the quote:

According to MSN Money's Savings Calculator, if you saved just $10 a week, or $40 a month, you'd end up with almost $60,000 in 30 years, assuming an 8% return. (Historically, that's been the long-term return for investing in stocks.)

Now doesn't $10 a week sound rather insignificant? I mean, I thought the same thing.... how can a measly $10 make a difference? But look at how it adds up! I am re-evaluating my savings plan today and starting small.... even $10 because with all the adoption stuff etc... I can at least afford that. $40 a month is dining out one time for my family. I can forgo a restaurant in favor of socking that money away.

How about you? Care to take a savings challenge? Even a small one? Take a look at this article and and see if you can save $10 a week..... even a small amount can make a big difference!

How $10 Could Save Your Retirement.

Inspiring Article

I found another article that is pretty inspiring. It's from Parade magazine, July 13, 2008.

How America Saves- Secrets of Thrifty Families

Interesting Article

I found an interesting article on MSN money entitled, Why Can't Americans Save a Dime?