Aside for food- any other tips?

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Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

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amother

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:16 pm

Our tuition bill jumped, inflation is insane and I'm wondering how I can cut down on our expenses.
My food budget is already very minimal, I'm wondering if there other tips for cutting expenses.
I'm not really a big spender so I'm kind of stuck. We're already not eating out or buying clothes in local Jewish stores. What are other ways or areas I can tighten a bit.

Goldie613

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:29 pm

Can you try comparison shopping? Sometimes one store is cheaper than another, one gas station is cheaper than another, etc.

There are some thing we no longer buy locally, because it's so much cheaper to order them through Walmart's website (which has free shipping over a certain dollar amount)

Try also seeing if your interest rates can be lowered on credit cards, or if you can get your electric/internet/insurance rates lowered at all.

amother

Dandelion

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:32 pm

Easier said than done but I think it’s best to try to earn more rather than cut back

amother

SandyBrown

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:34 pm

amother [ Dandelion ] wrote:

Easier said than done but I think it’s best to try to earn more rather than cut back

It's not simple to earn more when you are at a job where your salary is locked in

HeartyAppetite

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:42 pm

Maybe cut back on paper goods.

amother

Raspberry

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:44 pm

Maybe you can get a cheaper phone plan
Turn off lights more aggressively
Learn how to turn the burner off when cooking pasta
Combine errands to reduce gas usage
See if you can get cheaper insurance
Get dry cleaning sheets for your dryer to cut down on dry cleaning
Write down cost per meal for your normal dinners and make the cheaper ones more often
See if there are any regular subscriptions you can do without
Mend clothing instead of tossing
Use real dishes
Use shmattes instead of paper towels
Serve leftovers more often
Grow vegetables in your yard if possible

amother

SandyBrown

Wed, May 18 2022, 8:45 pm

HeartyAppetite wrote:

Maybe cut back on paper goods.

This is a great idea. Ive been doing that and also aluminum pans. I bought some glassware on sale to use for cooking/storage. Instead of paper towels I keep some small towels near the counter to use to wipe up spills. I've been using real plates/cutlery instead of plastic. I'm definitely going through less stuff. Obviously I use disposables as needed but I am more cautious to use it now.

GLUE

Wed, May 18 2022, 9:09 pm

See if your Public library has this book or something similar, maybe you can get something out of it.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Sav.....40811

amother

Aubergine

Thu, May 19 2022, 6:47 pm

free/discounted activities instead of pay ones (discount movie night, gifted tickets, community promos, local college events), services you can DIY instead of outsource (ex: I trimmed my dog's nails instead of taking her in. my scrapes are healing nicely 😜) save up a wee bit for larger multi-packs if possible instead of multiple smaller packs

LittleDucky

Thu, May 19 2022, 6:57 pm

Turn off lights.
Change thermostat/use fans instead of air/wear a sweater in the winter.
Dont buy if it isnt needed.
Clothing is only if needed, not just because it is Yom tov etc.
Try to buy clothing that will last a season if they still fit. So no velvet on the Shabbos shoes.
Cut back on anything one time use- lysol wipes, paper towels, disposables...
Try using off brand.
Use coupons, shop sales...

Look at your budget. Is there anything that fluctuates?

And yeah, try to increase salaries, part time work, anything extra to help out.

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