It's been an ongoing blog, and I know many of you have enjoyed reading my strategies for saving money - even those in the USA, Germany and Russia (welcome new readers). It's a common need - world wide - so this blog isnt so much about how much I saved, because it is getting harder to put an amount to this each week. Why is that? Because we have changed our lifestyle and things that were savings, we just dont do anymore.
1: I rarely buy takeaway drinks now (not never, but rarely). Instead I buy boxes of canned drinks for when i want something fizzy, otherwise its water
2: Bypass the bakery / supermarket - I was spending around $40 a week but now I bake scrolls for the kids lunches on a sunday, or pizza bread, or ham and cheese rolls - the kids prefer it to sandwhiches and I dont get bullied into buying a whole load of extra. Then there is the other way of looking at it - my husband only buys bakery bread - he says it saves money because you go in, buy your loaf of bread and bypass the supermarket - and dont get side tracked into buying something you didnt intend to! (He doesnt take the kids). We have both discovered a way to save!
3: Extend your village. Childcare is a necessary part of a busy family's life - but often friends will pick up your kids if you have a late meeting - in fact they are happy too! And this is free, and the kids get a play date, and if you are lucky you get to chat to a friend too.
4: Takeaway on a Friday night is a treat. Sure youre tired, we all are - but takeaways are generally pretty low nutritionally and hit the hip pocket hard. I think we have had takeaways on a Friday twice since the cat needed her surgery - no one misses it, no one expects it (well the kids took a little weaning). It is a real treat now.
5: Buy later. With all spending - can you do it tomorrow, next week, next month, even next financial year - delay what you can and postpone the spending. Empty the cupboards, make do with what you have.
Good luck folks! Feel free to add strategies that have saved you money :)
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