Now that we’ve achieved some sense of normalcy around here after nearly five years of constant ups and downs, we’ve been able to be a bit more proactive in little things that can make a difference financially. While none of these money saving measures are radically new, they are the little things that can add up over a long period of time – when you have the physical energy to do them. As I wrote last year about this time, there is nothing simple or frugal about being ill. But it is amazing the difference improved health can make in your ability to go a bit above and beyond.
So here are some things we are doing to trim costs here and there that take very little effort.
Drying Laundry
When I do laundry, I get one load ahead of the dryer. So I have one load in the dryer and I have a wet load on top of the dryer. Putting the load on top of the dryer serves two purposes. One, it starts the items air drying a bit. Two, it starts to warm them up from the heat coming off the top of the dryer. That way they are already slightly warmed when I put them in the dryer, thus cutting down on the drying time.
Changing Auto Insurers
I know this is one of those tips that you always hear, but we just saved $140 by switching auto insurers. The coverage is actually slightly better and we can probably drop our AAA membership next year since we only really get it for the towing coverage. That would save us another $50 or so.
Letting Memberships Lapse
I purposely let our memberships to places like Sam’s, Costco, Barnes and Noble, etc. lag. I never pay them when they are due. My philosophy is that if I’m not going to utilize the membership for two months, why should I be paying for it? I usually do a big stock up right before the membership expires and then I don’t renew it until I go back in again. However, apparently I’m not the only one who has figured out this trick because I got an email from Barnes and Noble that from now on when your membership expires, it will renew to the renew date – not the date you renew it. If that is the case, I think I’m going to drop that one altogether. I have the Educator’s discount card since we homeschool and most of what I buy is homeschool-related anyways.
Calculating Earnings Per Hour For Grape Juice
Our breakfast beverage of choice is primarily Welch’s 100% Grape Juice. I buy the frozen concentrate and make it myself. I discovered that a Walmart near us sells it for seventy cents less per container than Meijer. So once every five or six weeks when I am in that area, I run in and buy 12-15 of them. It takes me about 10 minutes to be in and out and I pay $10.50 less for the grape juice. Utilizing Amy Dacyczyn’s method of calculating the amount saved versus time used as she outlines in The Complete Tightwad Gazette, that is the equivalent of earning $63/hour for my time.
Utilizing Power Strips
We finally got around to utilizing power strips more effectively in order to save money. We have our TV, DVD player, and stereo on one and we turn it off each night to reduce the passive energy drain. Our internet routers and wireless box are on another one and we turn that off at night. We do the same thing with each of our computers. It is especially effective to make sure anything with a big box plug-in is unplugged as much as possible. They are major energy drainers.
Reducing Water Usage
Lastly, we’ve cut our water and power usage quite a bit by cutting back on the number of baths/showers we take. I still take one every day, but David and Caroline both are taking less. Most people really don’t need one every day anyway unless you are doing something sweaty or dirty (or you have very uncooperative hair like mine). Caroline’s hair looks better if it doesn’t get washed every day and she is much more eager to take a bath when it is a few times a week rather than an every day affair. So this change has decreased our water bill as well as our gas bill since we have a gas water heater (and it also means less laundry because of less towels). Again, a simple change, but we definitely saw the results in our water bill especially this summer.
Feel free to add a comment with your own tips and tricks that might help inspire me or someone else reading. I’m sure we can all use a few ways to cuts costs!
Creative Writing With “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick”
When our freezer in the garage isn’t full, we freeze gallon milk jugs of water and keep them in it so it runs more efficiently.
I read a few months ago that Costco was actually in a class action suit because they were “back dating” mships when people renewed instead of going by the “new” date. I don’t know whatever happened to that, as far as “proceeds” for those involved, but the courts ruled that they had to renew mships when people came in to renew, not when they expired. I take advantage of that, too, so I was glad to see it come out that way!
Amy – We do that too!
Sara – Very interesting. I found this article about it. I wonder why Barnes and Noble can get away with this? Maybe they won’t if enough people complain or quit. But the article said that Costco made $40 MILLION dollars off backdated renewals. What a racket and great way to make more money without anyone noticing.
Am I the only one who feels like you have to constantly be on your guard to not get fleeced every which way from Sunday?
We do the every few days things on baths around here, too, mostly for the boys. We had a slow leak on one of our lines, too, and when we finally figured it out and fixed it, our water bill REALLY went down. =)
I shop mostly at the local grocery store across the street from our neighborhood. I’ve noticed that if I pay attention to the buy one, get one free buys and stock up then, stock up on meat during the every several weeks rotation when it goes on sale, and pay attention to MVP savings, I am spending the same on our basic groceries as I would if I hauled myself down the road to the SuperWalmart. And that’s all without coupons… I don’t really like coupons.
Anybody know if you can go in with a friend to buy a Costco or BJ’s membership? I know you can with a family member, but I’m not sure about a friend. Probably not…
We stopped going to restaurants. Got tired of paying premium money for 3rd rate food. Not talking about 5 star of course but cooking is a hobby of many years and I found out there is little I can’t cook when I want. Instead, we fill our freezer with prime food. We also take a Christian economic view of our life. God provides us with enough . This vs. the capitalist maxim scarcity creates profit. We tend to be content with what we have and buy what we need rather than want. We see the difference every May when dozens and dozens of people have yard sales and we don’t.
Hi Thomas,
I haven’t eaten in a restaurant since I think 2015 due to health limitations. Other than missing the social aspect of it at times, I really don’t miss it. David and Caroline will get carryout, but we have drastically cut back as well.
Caroline is becoming more interested in cooking. I kind of hope it becomes a hobby for her and she can feed us well over the next few years. LOL!
Sallie
Sounds like a plan. An occasional dinner party (just a few friends) and the multiple birthdays (4 kids), helped us with issues like society. All in all though we don’t miss restaurants and we saved a bundle. Caroline should do well there is a plethora of great cooking shows on t.v. and tons of great web sites….Tom