Saving Money As A Family Activity

Enlist The Whole Family When It Comes To Saving Money

A recent trip to the gas station left me with "sticker shock" for the rest of the day. If this keeps up, I thought, our current lifestyle will be going into a steep downward spiral. Something definitely needs to be done. But what?

After a bit of calculator work, I came up with the fact that our two cars, each of which made a visit to the gas station at least every other week, were gobbling up between 50 and 70 gallons of gas per month. With an average local increase of about 25 cents a gallon over the last few months, I figured that we were spending between $25 and $30 dollars a month extra; not a fortune, but enough to make me want to do something about it.

When I confronted the family with the problem, they were full of suggestion. We each contributed a few and then voted on the ones we really thought we could incorporate into our own situation.

RECYCLE

Instead of paying our local sanitation service extra to haul away unwanted items, we joined an on-line recycling club. You list an item you wish to dispose of, and, like magic, someone arrives to carry it away. We managed to find new homes for several boxes of books and discarded toys, a microwave oven, and even a kitchen range. Wanted posts can also be listed, but, to date, we have not had experience with any of those.

On a smaller scale, we began using our fabric softener dryer sheets twice. With the amount of laundry we do at our house, that may end up to be a substantial savings. The second time around, we use two of the already used sheets, and the clothes are just as static-free as they ever were.

We have a small box in the laundry room where we put small items that each individual no longer wants. Others are free to take anything from the box and use it as their own. At this writing, the box has two weirdly shaped ball point pens, some finger-nail polish that turned out to be the wrong color, some outgrown socks, and a broken string of colorful beads. Sooner or later, I expect all items will be claimed.

COMBINE TRIPS

This is common sense, but something we neglected to do. The car went in and out far more times a day that necessary. Now, we at least attempt to make each trip do double-duty. One kid can be dropped off at basketball practice on the same trip another needs to go to the library.

LOOK FOR BARGAINS

Grocery stores usually have ads letting you know when they are selling 3 cans of chili for the price of two, or a case of vegetables highly discounted. Even if you don't need the item at the time, store it. If it doesn't get used in a reasonable length of time, you will at least have something to put in a bag for the poor when the need arises.

Shop after the holidays for next years Christmas cards, holiday decorations, stocking stuffers, etc. Find out what time of year certain clothing items are on clearance.

Don't overlook dollar stores and thrift shops. I recently bought a large supply of birthday and get-well cards at the local dollar store at two for a dollar. They were just as nice as cards I usually pay $3.98 for at other stores. A beautiful frame with pictures of my 3 daughters hangs on my bedroom wall. Something I picked up at a thrift store for only a dollar.

DON"T BE STINGY; BE SMART

Buy your valentine a dozen roses at your local grocery store. Do you think she will care whether those roses cost $50 at the florist down the street or $4.98 at Safeway or Albertsons? Of course not. It always has been, and still is, the thought that counts.
(By they way, the grocery stores have lots of flowers other than roses, if your sweetie isn't a fan of roses. Some even come with vases and beautiful bows.)

Dilute your shampoo. Especially if there are teenagers in the house. One of ours thinks a half bottle of shampoo is a reasonable amount to use for a single hair washing. Diluted shampoo may not feel quite as elegant, but it cleans just as well, and saves a mint when it comes to your pocketbook.

Read used books. Trade books with friends. Get every member of the family a library card. To supplement what you find from friends and in the library, visit garage sales and thrift stores. Many of the books you find in these places look brand-new, but, even if they don't, I would prefer to pay 50 cents for a book that has a few of the page corners turned down than $12.95 for one that doesn't.

Use coupons. A local restaurant in our area publishes a coupon once a month for a free meal if you buy a meal. Since we like to eat there anyway, it would be like tossing $10 in the trash not to use that coupon. I'm sure you can find similar coupon bargains in your area.

Go over your magazine subscription list. Cancel those that you seldom read anymore. If there is only an article or two in each issue that interests you, consider reading the magazine at the library.

Save eating out for special occasions. Of course, a snack at the Dairy Queen on the way home from softball practice sounds good, but it can put a pretty big dent in a twenty-dollar bill. Instead, buy a gallon of ice cream and make your own yummies after you get home.

Well, you've seen what our family came up with. If we manage to implement all of them, we should save even more than our targeted goal of $25 to $30 a month. Why not get your own family together and see what you can come up with. Who knows, you might just save enough to start planning for a trip to Disney Land.