Live Better with Less $$

Here are a few tips for stretching your dollar further and living better on less.

Coupons:
For every coupon you clip and use, take the money you've saved and put it in a jar or piggy bank, etc.
Don't look for just any reason to use a coupon because you'll buy things you wouldn't normally have bought as companies often put out coupons for expensive items that still result in more expense than a generic or alternate brand.
But: when you do save on a
staple, use the money for your rainy day jar OR use the money to buy something else you need which may reduce
your expenses the following week.

Pay yourself first!
You should, ofcourse ensure all your bills are paid but before you determine what part of your budget is for
frivolity, you should set aside 20% of your money for savings.
People don't save anymore but blow money carelessly on disposable items. Think twice before doing this and instead of booking your next holiday on a credit card and taking a year to pay for that holiday, save money now and use the money you save for the holiday!

Charity--You Reap What You Sow!
I am a firm believer in tithing 10%. If you don't belong to a church, you can use the 10% for any charity you favour. Not only will you get it
back ten-fold because you do, infact reap what you sow -- but you'll also get a decent tax deduction at the end of that tax year!

Pay with Cash:
CASH! is POWER!!
Your money goes further.. more retailers are willing to reduce the price for a 'cash' deal.. and there's no interest
at the end of the month to carry over. (Not to mention no one to repossess the thingamajig if you can't pay for it later!!)
What good is a sale if you buy it on credit and pay more for it in the long run?
Stay away from credit cards as much as you can, utilize loyalty cards wherever possible (because it all adds up!)
and stay away from pay day loan places. They're destructive to your financial success! They charge exorbitant amounts of interest and it's far too easy to use them again and again which will
eat up much of each pay cheque. The only one to benefit will be them!
CASH is king in frivolity!

Generics:
You should try generic brands whenever you can on items that aren't as important to you as your certain 'brand' of something (I have my specifics too)
Generic brands are often up to 50% less than a name brand of a product and are regularly made by the same
company that makes your brand name!

Food:
Freeze your food! Many people throw out on a weekly basis more than they eat. Freezing leftovers not only
saves food for a rainy day but makes for quick meals when you don't want to cook. You'll be saving the $20 you would've spent on McDonald's or Pizza, and your family will get better, healthier food.
Freezer bags allow for optimization of space and quick clean-up too!
Some bakeries sell day old bread for a song and if you're going to use it that day or chuck it into the freezer anyway, you'll save a bundle!
Our local bakery sells 20 loaves of day old bread for $5. It's great for making croutons, regular and french toast and bread crumbs if you're finicky about having fresh bread for your sandwich.
Don't look down your nose there...it's only ONE day old, not green around the gills for heaven's sake!

Recycle/Freecycle:
You can often save money on something by getting it from a friend.
Text book exchanges, skate exchanges and bike exchanges will all save you money
on items your family will only use for a short time.
Hand me downs are awesome for items you won't use for long!
My cousin bought a leather jacket recently for only $10 (and it was brand name without a mark on it) at a second hand store

Warehouse Sales & Club Stores.
Four years ago I went to a Proctor & Gamble warehouse sale and spent $100 and am just NOW running out of make-up. These sales can be really awesome. I saved a fortune!
My family members and I often buy large items and split them like cases of paper products and freezer meat orders.
People sometimes don't bother with these because they think
that they can't use that large quantity of items but often people will want to go in on these things with you and
the money you save will give you more for that cookie jar!

and:
Read my 'Get off the Treadmill' blog for more advice about living better and smarter with less.

Since becoming a sahm 2 years ago, I have reduced the amount of food I throw out, we buy more for less and eat way healthier.
I have sworn off credit cards and have saved money on major purchases by shopping around and paying cash and stocking up.
It can be done, it just takes a little effort and creativity like our grandmother's used