[swt1899]

My DH and I are trying to find ways to save $. We are proud coupon cutters and love grocerygame.com. Our electricity bill this month was $275. The highest we have ever had. I know a lot of our friends are seeing $400 bills. We used to keep our A/C on 78-80. But we have Robert now so we kicked it down to 77. OUCH! It shows. We are trying to cut costs. I'm now trying out cloth diapers and am only running my clothes dryer for Robert's clothes. Ours are hanging to dry. It's so hot that it doesn't take long to dry!
I'm shopping online to see if I can find baby necessities cheaper. Like his diaper rash cream. I found on Amazon.com for $2 cheaper with free shipping. Anyone else doing this?
How are you saving money? What are you doing/not doing to make things easier?
Anyone have any ideas on where I can find basic house hold goods (laundry soap, baby needs, etc.) for cheaper prices?
I'd love some advice and tips!!!
THANKS!

[EllaMinnowPee]

I am a Grocery Gamer too! I still get most of my groceries at Aldi, though, because my list store is so expensive that even with things on sale with a coupon, most of their prices are more still expensive than Aldi. The biggest savings I get by playing the Grocery Game are from health and beauty aids. If you think things like baby needs and laundry soap are still expensive using the Grocery Game, try looking at Aldi. They have laundry detergent for 32 washes that's only $1.99. I use it and it works for my family!

To save money on cleaning supplies, make your own from water and baking soda and vinegar. A simple google search will give you some great recipes.

We have also cut out using our AC unless it's unbearable, usually around the 90 degree mark. Of course, we don't have a baby at home- our kids are 7 and 9, and if we had a baby in the house I would keep the AC on more too. We cut out a lot of our activities, which surprisingly, my kids didn't mind. We also switched to a different satellite/DSL/phone company to save $50 a month, and we are giving up our cell phones and getting tracfones instead, to save another $50 a month. We are also changing our tax rate so we will have more take home pay.

Sorry I can't give you suggestions for saving on baby supplies. That is a very expensive time. But I guess it hasn't gotten easier- now instead of spending a lot of money on diapers and wipes, we spend a lot of money on dance classes and drum lessons!

To save on electricity, unplug all of your appliances when you're not using them. Even if they're turned off, appliances that are plugged in still use "phantom" electricity. I read somewhere- and I can't tell you where because I don't remember- that phantom electricity can make up to 40% of your bill. Unplugging your computer for 12 hours a day can save up to $57 a year!

[mcmama]

I just moved and have not yet had my electric bill. Because of air conditioning here in FL, I am dreading it.

There have been great deals at walgreens on diapers. If you combine coupons with walgreens coupons and their sale, you make out pretty well. Some Walgreens are limiting the number of boxes you can buy.
Yes, I have heard this about unplugging your appliances. For those on timers, such as my coffeemaker and microwave, it is a bit of a hassle to keep reprogramming the clock, so I am not sure how much it is worth it unless I am away for several days.

[MommaColleen]

We do the obvious things like making sure things are turned off when not in use, keeping the A/C at 78*, hanging laundry on the line, etc. On top of that we put some of our things on timers like the hot water heater and pool pump.

Not good at coupon clipping since I never seem to find coupons for things I actually need/buy. We shop at a grocery store that offers a lot of 10 for $10 deals and usually really we stock up on the things we use often.

We get all our meats from a local butcher. We have found their prices to be very reasonable and the meat is fresher. We have one of those food saver things so we can safely put overstock in the freezer for later.

We are looking into the possibility of solar panels. While the initial investment will be a hit to our savings, in the long run it will be worth it.

[mcmama]

When you have coupons for those 10 for $10 deals you save really big. It does add up. I find that most of my coupon savings come from health and beauty and rebates.

I love it when you have say 10 bottles of dishwashing liquid for $10 - and 10 25cent coupons off one of each - and it is even better when they double the coupons.

[Samual]

Well we have an allotment so we grow the majority of our fruit, veg and make our own jam. We only buy meat and eggs from either local farms or a local butcher, I don't see the point in spending £5 to help in the cruel treatment of chickens which also contain more fat bite for bite than a takeaway burger and do not contain any of the nutrition a chicken should contain. We get our fish from a fishmonger who has a van and delivers from Gonerby on the same day the fist is caught. We buy our milk from a local dairy too so it isn't pumped full of rubbish either.

We don't buy anything with chemicals in, clothes are washed with ecover, the kitchen is mainly washed with hot water and if a cleaner is needed it is always environementally friendly.

We don't have airconditioning in the UK, so thats not a problem, our electricity bill last month was £56/$112, we use a slightly more expensive power company as we buy clean electricity. We don't own a tumbler either, it takes around 2 hours to dry a load in a tumbler where it takes half of that on the washing line.

We aren't on a water meter, so we can use as much as we like for a set price, so we never bother to 'save' water, our bill will be £180 this year where as I know people on meters who are paying upto £50/$100 a month!

Our car isn't a gas guzzler, so we don't spend that much on petrol even though the nearest sign of life outside our village is half an hour away, we tend to get petrol every three weeks, it's £75/$150 to fill our car at the moment. Which isn't bad at all especially considering that for one adult to get the bus into the nearest town is £5/$10.

As far as baby gear goes, we have never brought baby wipes, we use a damp flannel instead and always take one out with us in a little waterproof bag, I don't know about nappy rash cream though we have never needed to use it. Could you get a prescription for it instead, then it's free, thats what we did with teething cream as bonjela is horrible gunk.

We have a dog and a cat as well and we don't buy petfood as it's basically poison that smells nice, so they eat all the offal and bits of meat and veg that gets left over after dinner and tea.

We don't have central heating as our house is a listed building so instead we have a beestone boiler thats yonks old that heats the house and we have fires in the kitchen, dining room, living room and the main bedroom upstairs.

We don't alter things to save money, it's just the way we have always done things, some are more expensive and some just happen to be cheaper.

[skidoo_grl]

I don't do this, but I have heard if you can get enough people together in your community you can buy things in bulk, and split them and it is cheaper.
We live in an apartment so heating and air are a lot cheaper then in a house. In the winter we usually have our windows open, as we are on the top floor and it is usually 80 degrees in here without the heat even on.
For cleaning, I have a church cookbook that we got as a wedding present with a LOT of helpful hints in. I would gladly share them if someone wanted them.

[avonrep_kendall]

I am a huge couponer...last week I stocked up on dish liquid...i got 84 bottles f dish liquid for $8...it helps. I also use coupons for EVERYTHING!!! I rearely pay fullprice for anything but bills.

[FlamingPanties]

I have given away a lot of stuff to freecyclers, so people who participated did pretty well getting free stuff from me. A few of them gave me free stuff, so I guess it almost balanced out.

My biggest way of saving money is cooking my own meals and avoiding restaurant food. The local fruit and veggie discounter makes large boxes of overripe fruits and veggies available for $1, so I buy those and make soup and stewed fruit. When a can of soup costs $2.29, and I make a whole potful for $1.50, the savings is obvious.

The thermostat in the house is 64 degrees, and I manage by wearing fleece inside and have a heated lap blanket. The clothes dryer gets used about once a month when I have to dry sheets and tablecloths. Clothing gets hung up all year round - either outside on the line or inside in the closet.

I'm careful with credit cards, and pay off the balance every month. Cards that give points or cash back can actually benefit you if you do this every month.

My car is a Toyota Yaris, the cheapest car to run. When gas was $4 a gallon I was far better able to manage with this fuel sipper that gets 40mpg on the highway. The low gas prices are just a lull.

I carefully match coupons that are double at the supermarket with the circular. Sometimes I get things free.

[dvalland]

You seem to be doing everything right, trying to cut costs where you can. Regarding the air conditioning, I always make sure that I leave my blinds down and closed during the day. And although others tell me it's not efficient, my electric bill begs to differ with them...I run my ceiling fans in most all of my rooms. By the time evening comes, the temp in the house has reached its' highest point, but is really very bearable - even for the baby if you find a nice shaded part of the house not in the direct wind of the ceiling fans!
One money-saving tip I found in an unexpected place - my pediatrician's office. Don't be shy to ask, but these docs get samples of formula, baby wipes, diapers, diaper rash ointment, orajel, you name it. Some Moms get WIC for their baby's formula, so the pediatrician may be sitting on cans of formula that's ready to expire. The pediatrician is also sure to have samples of oil, lotion, ointment, and you name it.
The best kept secret is Salvation Army, Goodwill, and other charitable resale stores. Buying jeans or bib overalls at 50 cents or $1 (Gap, Lands End, etc.) and a great jacket for $2 lets you say "bye bye" to the expensive department store shopping stores for the most part! And these clothes are in great shape. Afterall, how worn out can these clothes be? They're not. Toys and other items like humidifiers, vaporizers are great values at these places as well. Owner's and operating manuals can be pulled up on line if the original is not still with the item.
Good luck and great shopping!
dvalland