Thrifty Living

For our little family of four, we personally strive to live simply. Since I have chosen to homeschool my children, I do not work full-time. So this means I have to put forth extra effort to make the most of my husbands paycheck and whatever extra money I bring in go a long way. Over the years I have learned various ways to do this. Trust me, this has taken me almost 13 years to master, but after having two children and maintaining a house and vehicles I realize the importance of cutting corners where we can. Here are some of the ways our family has done this:


1. My husband performs regular maintenance on both of our vehicles. This will involve him doing our brakes, rotors and even our regular oil changes. We usually buy all the supplies & parts online. At times when we have to go to a mechanic for bigger issues that he cannot handle I will purchase the parts online, as we have noticed we get a better deal and they let you pick the parts up at the store locally.  The majority of the time we use www.shop.advanceautoparts.com/home . We will then bring the parts along with our vehicle to the mechanic, so all we are paying for is labor. So definitely cost effective.

2. I buy and sell on ebay, craigslist, seasonal consignment sales and thrift stores. For our family we have found that buying second hand for certain items cuts the cost. Many times I will put things aside a year in advance to sell, that way I have the funds to purchase what is needed for the family. In addition to that, I have also found that buying other items and re-selling them for a higher value with these second hand options is super helpful. People will get rid of something at a garage sale or thrift store and not realize that it has value elsewhere.  Though this requires some time such as taking pictures, tagging, shipping or even delivering items, but once again, it's just another thrifty way to live.

(Here's a sample breakdown of protocol to follow when selling clothes, just one field to selling)

3. Another cost effective and simple way our family lives is by planning in advance our meals. Research has found that if you go grocery shopping without a meal plan you tend to spend more money. We have been implementing this for over two years now and it has definitely helped. I tend to lean to shopping at a store called Aldi as they usually seem to have what I need for clean eating recipes and they are also affordable.

Check out this great link for ideas on what you can buy from Aldi  to support healthy eating without spending a lot. In addition, below that is a helpful link to a variety of meal planning pintables.

http://www.feathersinournest.com/2013/11/what-i-buy-at-aldi-real-food.html

http://www.thetaylor-house.com/five-fabulous-free-meal-plan-printables/#_a5y_p=2064176

4. Another way I do my best to be thrifty is I utilize every, and any coupon, or coupon code I can get my hands on. My kids know that I will not by anything without a coupon. One site I tend to use is called Retailmenot.com . You just type the merchant you want to use in and they will give you a coupon code to use for online shopping. In addition to that I also have an Entertainment book. The wonderful thing about that is if you have the book, which contains paper coupons, you can download the app for your phone which gives you quick access when your on the go.

5. Something I have been implementing over the months is making things homemade. Many already know our family is very much into essential oils, so we will use these oils to make things from deodorant, to toothpaste, to various household soaps, along with all natural cleaners, all the way to non-toxic bug spray. Not only has it been cost effective but it also has supported our families overall health. We've been able to cut the cost on over the counter medications by using essential oils to soothe  symptoms.  

6. Another avenue has been touched on a few times in this post is "on-line" shopping. Through personal experience I have seen that the prices in the stores tend to be higher then on-line. So to cut corners what we have done with many of our local stores that give the site to store option is I will order a product, or item online and then pick it up locally at the store. From speaking with one local retailer they stated that the stores compete with their online merchants even though they are the same company.

Another great benefit from shopping on-line is clearance items. Many times I will buy things for our family a year in advance on clearance, online, with a coupon, with free shipping and put it away until that time comes. These will be brand new items for super cheap prices and not the usual in store cost, and the greatest part, I never have to leave the house.

7. So, it may seem like a little thing but we pack snacks & drinks for when we are out and about. In addition to that I make sure to prepare a lunch for my husband to take to work every day. It is amazing how grabbing a snack here and there, or buying lunches or even grabbing a coffee can take a chunk out of ones wallet. To be productive in this regard we have found preparing the night before works best. The coffee maker is set, lunches and snacks are in the fridge and lunch bags are lined up on the counter, ready to go.  

Honestly, I could continue to go on with more but these are just a few ways that our family strives to be thrifty so we can live a simpler life.