Sunday, May 25, 2008
Too Much Month at the End of the Money
| By Lynn Forgy I have cut our expenses to the bare bones, for the most part. And I've taken on 2 part time jobs to increase my income. Sometimes it still doesn't seem like enough, though. Especially at the end of the month. Living paycheck to paycheck is not a fun place to be, but it does provide opportunities to be creative. - How can you find ways to save water around your house? We live in Georgia, which is still in a drought. So finding ways to save water is not only something we do to help the budget but also to help the environment. Saving bathwater to reuse in the washer, flushing less, etc. can save money. - How can you save on electricity? Turn the lights off, use only the CFL bulbs, turn the thermostat up or down depending on the season (we set ours at 80-82 in the summer, and 62-64 in the winter), use the crockpot rather than using the oven, use an electric skillet vs. the stove top. - Make your own laundry detergent I have saved about $20 or more this year by making my own detergent. $20 may not sound like much, but every little bit helps. - Plan your meals 1 month at a time, and only buy what's on your list I tried this last month, and I will admit that it's hard. Not only do you have to sit down beforehand and come up with 30 meal ideas and their ingredients, you have to go to the grocery to stock up. But this should cut down on the amount you spend at the grocery by reducing the temptation to buy extras. My mother quoted a saying from Franklin Delano Roosevelt this morning, and I think most of us could benefit from following this advice: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" |
posted by Krista at 2:02 PM
