saving money

 My topic for the next few weeks will be how to save money in the home. We ( my family) have decided to save for a home (thus cutting the extras) but how do you do that and save money? I know there are common ways to save money such as don't eat out, find no-cost babysitting and other advice, but i am talking about the other mystery things that people do that save on groceries, house cleaning supplies and tips i have yet to find. Here is my beginner list of how i plan to save my family money:

1. Only eating out 1 x a month...i may be overly ambitious but this includes my occasional stop at the coffee stand for peppermint hot chocolate. This also includes not stopping somewhere to get fries for Landon and cooking my own dinner even if i don't feel up to it.

2. buying in bulk: I must say that not all buying in bulk seems to be cost effective, but for us buying meats, grains, sugar, flour, brown sugar, tortillas (i could make these myself, but i don't know if i want to spend time doing so) and beans seems effective. i am also going to look into buying items to make my own laundry detergent and possibly baby wipes( there are a lot of recipes on pinterest that say i can do it).

3. cleaning for my father : my dad is being generous and helping me save a little money by cleaning his house once a week.

4. cutting out or down daycare: i am really not sure which one, my toddler loves going to school with other kids, yet we pay $300 a month for 3xs a week.

5. we pay close to $200 on our phones each month, my husband and i are going to pay our early termination fee and get prepaid cell phone plans for awhile. neither of us really use our phone for more than just calling and texting anyway.

6. instead of paying for a gym membership here in my local area, i have decided to go with my dad to the fire hall in the next town to do P90x with him and his friend. i know i would workout more and possibly save time if i exercised closer to home, but i think the cost of membership wouldnt' be worth it.

7. baking instead of buying: i will be making any treats we consume, i will not be buying any goodies.

8. cooking and packing lunches for my husband.

9. taking all the old clothes to the consignment shop, the one near me will pay for children's clothes in in store credit, which allows me to buy new clothes for the kids without spending extra money. i tried selling on ebay..but no one wanted cute boys clothes.

10. i solemnly swear that i will put my debit card in a sealed envelope, only to be used in medical emergencies.

i know for the most part that saving money is pretty much a goal for everyone, who wouldn't want more money, right? but from my beginning look at how to save money i have realized that saving money is about what your problem areas are for your own family. some of you may not have daycare, but spend every dinner eating out. i suggest looking at your families expenses and decide what you are willing to give up for your financial goals and or even do less of. i will post what i find in my search to find more ways to save.