Cutting Down Your Expenses

well my hubby has been out of work for quite a while and since i only work part time (due to health issues) we have had to live on less money for awhile. we visit the library at least once a week and have gotten books and dvds out of there, plus we visit the thrift store for items we want or need. (the thrift store seems to be a good place to get candles!) we also eat fairly cheaply by making home made soup, pasta, pancakes, that sort of thing.

We almost never eat out. Almost always buy store brand. We are curbing it, by staying home. Making a grocery list before we go, with the flyers and coupons. Sticking to it. We set the thermostat lower in winter. Keep lights off when not in use, use CFL(more expensive up front, but pay for self quickly) 2$ at Dollarama, come to think of it. Plastic the windows. And pay all our bills first, before buying any thing else. Not much fun stuff left after that, but it is necessary at this stage in our lives. But the plans are in place to change all that, cheers.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. We have been focusing on using coupons and eating out less. We're trying to get organized this year and to pay off debt, the getting organized part has kept us pretty busy. Fortunately, we don't really need to buy anything in order to get organized. Our grocery bills have been creeping up, but I think it is because prices have been going up. There isn't much I can do about that. I am trying to: 1. get more "points" and coupons online. With the points, I can get gift cards, etc. 2. Share resources with friends. For example, I have a lot of yarn, and some of my friends have taken up knitting. They, in turn, share coupons with me, etc. We try to buy in bulk and trade food, too.

We do not eat out as much anymore. I buy store brand groceries and check for sales when I am grocery shopping because sometimes you can fine a brand name that is cheaper then the store brand.

I would get rid of cable and any cell phones. You can have a landline/internet combination in which you can download anything you would want to watch on t.v., burn it to disk etc. If you have those things that's what I would suggest.

Actually, at the start of the year. I've actually "cut" my expenses including the future ones. Sad to say, I broke up with my GF. Cost cutting at its best.

I have been cutting down on my expenses too. One of mine to was eating out less. Another is trying to find a less expensive grocery store, and buying store brands. I am also trying to find ways of eating that is less expensive. Like the foods I buy. I guess I am blessed that we have food banks to go to that will help my food bill. Have a great day.

We do the same thing. It seems we are so aware of our spending...we have to be. We shut off lights, unplug appliances. I barely smoke any more. We are so so frugal and yet we still seem to always struggle. I guess on the upside of it all...still have this computer and still have a roof over our heads. We are warm and clothed and not hungry! It does seem that every time I manage to get a few bucks ahead that something happens to set us back...it is just the way it is. I keep track of every penny we spend and we challenge ourselves to go beneath the previous month. Last month we got our electric bill down almost 10.00! my biggest thing is cutting back on coffees. I do have a coffe maker so it is a no brainer. Still, I am addicted to dunkins iced coffee. My daughter is 15 so that is just self explanatory ...almost all of her "needs" are really "wants". We are working on that!

We definitely had to watch our pennies when my husband wasn't working last year. I started making our own laundry soap and fabric softener, and we cut down on how often we ate out. Now, that my husband is working again, we still have to watch our pennies, but we can do a few more of the little things. I'm still going to make our own laundry soap and fabric softener. We don't eat our that much, but that can be a little difficult since our jobs require us to be out of the house alot. We do bring food with us, but sometimes that doesn't cut it.

hi dorannmwin well here my expenses are set in concrete as Gold Crest takes the rent money out of my social security and ssi checks each month leaving me the whole sum of one hundred twenty five dollars for personal use, so my mylot earnings go towards the monthly cable bill for internet.When I was working I cut down on food expense by brown bagging it every day and we shut off all lights and electric things not in use each day and this helped a lot too.

My husband and I are on a diet, so unfortuantely the I am not able to cut back on food expenses right now because we need specific things, but I try to make as much as I can with what we have and double recipes when I make them. We are cutting down on eating out right now because it is safer to stay on the diet from home then it is going out. I try not to drive as much as possible, I try to do all my errands on the same day. We have also cut out junk food and soda which can save a bunch. We are also trying to cover up any potental places where air can escape in our home, and I just switched insurance companies which will save us $11 per month. I am trying to concentrate on earning more online this month as well.

I think most people are cutting down on their expenses. My family has also cut down eating out. Making sure if everyone is in one room that only one light needs to be on. If I'm watching TV in my bedroom I don't keep a light on. I do laundry only twice a week and most in cold water. I buy store brands instead of name brands. I make cheaper meals and eat very little meat. In fact the only meat I really eat is chicken and that is only once a week. We live in a society that eats to much and has to many material things. We can all live on alot less, we just have to learn to conserve each and everyone of us. Not feel that we need the latest gadget that comes out. I think if we all did our part things will eventually turn around.

I am forced to cut down on my expenses since I was not working for a month already. Now that I am starting working again I do not want to go back and incur a big expense since my goal is to save up for a lot of things. Currently I have only been eating for lunch and nothing in between so I do not need to buy little expensive things. Like yesterday, instead of buying a full meal for breakfast, I just ate a banana.

We have had to cut our kids dance classes down to one each kid. We have also eat at home more but I am making much more food from scratch as these save more then eating heat up and pre preped foods. I have also begun to take our own trash to the dump instead of having a service pick it up. We do not have a local garbage route here, more country living.

Well, the less eating out is a Good one, and one we are really trying not to do except for on Sundays. For some reason it seems like that is one day we have no choice due to everything going on. We are trying to find other ways and things to cut back on as well. Lately it seems like everything continues to go up so much so that if you ever have a real Emergency it even more puts a cramp in things financially for sure. Learning to find ways to plan and save for those rainy days is a Big thing for sure.

To put a strict check on spending for those whom spending was quite an exciting affair. However it is always advisable to embark on a plan of curbing one's personal expenditure on unwanted things.

Sadly there is no more that I can cut down out of our budget w/o hubby getting a clue on his expenses. *Shop Aldi's *buy only sale/clearance items unless absolutly necessary *no paid tv *pre-paid cell phone *lowering the thermostat (wich is debateable in my house cause my hubby thinks it should be summer time while the rest of us cook and try to figure out how to pay a huge heating bill ) *coast while driving *line dry clothes in spring - fall *use half the recommended detergent *buy store brands as much as possible *cfl lightbulbs *coupons (some stores have double or tripple couponing, however here the only store that does it has ALOT OF RULES to make it worth wild especially if you only intended on buying the few things & not the cartful they expect you to buy to entitle you to the savings on 5 whole items ) *shop rummages (especially for kids things) & thrift stores (our Salvation army has a .49 night, anything the color of the week is .49 wich is rummage sale pricing!) That's all I can think of at the minute

It is such a problem isn't it? I saw a women on NBC last week who used coupons (not really available in J.A.) and she bought US$100 of groceries and with all of her coupons she ended up paying 25c. I was so envious. But this was a passion with her and she had it down to an art. She had written on a book on it but I cannot remember the title. I wish that had that opportunity. I am busy looking for cheaper recipes and of course we end up eating more starch as it is cheaper. since our government in its innate stupidity is putting a 17.5% tax on almost everything I keep an eye out for anything that does not have this stupid tax on it. so I have bought a year's supply of pantie liners and shampoo and conditioner and things like that.I try to use less of everything pray a lot. Still not on line much am about to go home as not tooi well. Blessings

Since the first of the year we have been eating out less. I also always use as much coupons as possible. I also buy store brands as much as possible.

It has been hard for my husband and I to live frugal, but we are trying very hard. My husband works parttime, but he has also decided to go back to school (he goes to school online) and is doing quite well. He is working towards his AA in Communications and Business then plans on getting his BA in Communications and Buisness (he gets financial aid which has been helping us a lot) and I am also going back for my Masters in September (online as well) and am also hoping to sell things online. 1. I cook meals at home six days a week. I have recipes for very easy food items that do not use too many ingredients. 2. I make a grocery list and buy what I absolutely need. If it is not on my grocery list, I do not buy. 3. I am in the process of selling items that I do not want. 4. I have changed home phone companies (I have Magic Jack and it is so much cheaper). 5. I no longer have a cell phone. 6. My husband and I have a change jar which we put our change together and at the end of the month we dump it into our savings account.