Keep Calm & Stop Spending!

I saw this on a blog but now can't remember which one. However, I have been reading a lot about budget control on My 1/2 Dozen Daily. It got me to thinking about what I do to save my family money. When I was working, I spent freely but since retiring I have had to curtail my spending drastically.


My husband is the keeper of the budget and he does an amazing job with the amount of money we have. If it wasn't for his budgeting skills I wouldn't have been able to quit work two years ago. What a blessing! He also does all the grocery shopping and does an incredible job. He reads labels and brings home only the best produce. He is great about bringing home what is on my list. Plus he calls me from the store to tell me about great deals he finds to make sure I will have a use for it before making the purchase. Our income situation is a little bit unique in that my husband works on commission (no salary) so there are months of feast and months of famine. We just have to make the feast months last through the famine ones.


So, what do I do to help with our monthly budget... 

1. I make homemade bread weekly.
2. I hang laundry out to dry when it's not raining.
3. Purchase books at my daughter's library "book nook" for $1 for hardback and 50 cents for paperback! I don't remember when I last purchased a new book. It's really hard to pay the price for a new one after enjoying all the nearly free books.
4. I give handmade gifts when I appropriate.
5. I am a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator to support my habit:) I don't purchase more than I make in commission.
6. I enjoy thrift store shopping for clothes (and other things). I often find new or gently used name brand clothing for $5 or less. One of my favorite finds was a Tupperware Salad Spinner for $1.50 (I think they are $40 in the Tupperware catalog). Recently I purchased 8 summer tops for $7.25!
7. I make our cards! Since I'm going to get the supplies anyway, might as well make it pay! This year I am planning to make ALL our Christmas cards as well as birthday, thank you, thinking of you, get well, graduation, etc.
8. I learned how to cook beans in a pressure cooker instead of always using canned beans. We eat a lot of beans around here--love them!
9. I can fruit from our fruit trees--apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, apples.
10. I don't have a credit card and don't want one. It's too easy for me to get into trouble without meaning to with a credit card.

I know there are other things I do but can't think of them at the moment. If you are trying to think of ways to help your family budget maybe some of my suggestions will help. You can also check out Carla's blog at My 1/2 Dozen Daily for more great ideas for saving money and living on a budget.

What did you get a really good deal on recently? I love to save money!!! Kat