Any frugal Ideas to save up some money?

amother

Red

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:43 pm

Make a backyard camp in your house and have your kids either attend as campers or run it with you. This way you save money on sending them to camp ans it brings in money as well. If the logistics work for you ...

amother

Chicory ↓

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:44 pm

Gittu wrote:

looking to save up a few $$$$$

Don’t know your current lifestyle but I’ll give some ideas.
Work out a detailed realistic budget and stick to it. Include the amount you want to save in the budget so it’s treated like all other expenses.
Do grocery shopping with a list and stick to it. If it’s too difficult have someone go instead of you.
Cut cleaning help
No takeout
Don’t go shopping just to browse. Buy only what you need not what you see on sale and think ‘oh I might have use of that’.

amother

↑ Chicory

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:49 pm

amother Chicory wrote:

Go through all your monthly/weekly/daily expenses and think of creative ways to cut the expense or if you can manage without it. For example, you pay transportation for your kid, start taking them to school yourself. Manicure every week, cut to once a month and do it yourself as needed.

amother

Caramel

Mon, May 22 2023, 9:51 pm

switch to cash when you can and set the change aside

and/or get $5-$10 cash back if you use debit card and put it away or toward what you're saving up for

play chopped in your kitchen and make meals from things you need to use up instead of going shopping.

if you usually drive, see if you can reduce trips and gas usage. I get a double savings if I bus in (free with my work badge) and run home instead of stopping off at a per-visit gym class

I'll wander the library instead of the mall for bad weather entertainment/exercise

amother

Blush

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:18 pm

I may be on extreme level of frugal but here it goes

I give haircuts to my husband, son and my girls. Never took a course but saw a bunch of tutorials on YouTube...

Plan my menu based of what's on sale in local stores.

Make Walmart order online and pick it up. This way buy exactly what I need and see how much it adds up to right away. Get Walmart brand pasta Under $1!

Switched to Walmart brand diapers, sugar, oatmeal...
Not everything was worth $ switching. Toilet paper and paper towels wasn't a worthwhile switch;)

For clothing shop at gemachs, or only sales

Get new shoes for my kids only when their old ones don't fit/get ruined and there is a sale by the time they are ready for new ones. My kids didn't get new school shoes and shabbos shoes after pessach.

I only buy myself clothing when my clothes are no longer wearable( doesnt make a difference if it was in style 10 years ago Smile

)

To save on food waste I only make 1/2 a gefilta fish for shabbos, even that doesn't get finished.

I also put 1/2 a kishke in my cholent...

Bake my own challah and sour dough bread

Stock up on sale items that I use such as flour, tuna, yogurts.

Genius

Mon, May 22 2023, 10:19 pm

Prepare a menu for the week and go to the supermarket once a week with a list that includes everything you’ll need for the menu.
Whatever you think you need to buy online, put into your cart and check out once a week. Many things stop being important by the time the end of the week rolls around.
Pay yourself first. Savings should be an expected and important expense on the level of phone and utilities.
Get another source of income. See if you can monetize a hobby, babysit or mow someone’s lawn. Kidding about the last one.

Cressel

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:44 pm

Whenever I'm shopping and I want to buy myself something, I like to tell myself
"If you can't afford two of it, you can't afford it"

Saved me from many purchases that can be compromised

amother

Moccasin

Tue, May 23 2023, 7:28 am

amother Chicory wrote:

Why is the assumption it someone is struggling financially that they get manicures and have cleaning help??

amother

Lemonlime

Tue, May 23 2023, 8:47 am

This may be obvious for some, but open a savings account. Even if it only has $5 in it. Money that accumulates in checking will disappear faster than money in a separate account.

Every time you get your paycheck, immediately transfer a set amount to savings. If you're very tight, transfer only $10 a week, or even $5. If you can do more, awesome. If your paycheck gets adjusted and is slightly higher (sometimes happens in January when tax changes go into effect), adjust how much you move to savings.

amother

Nemesia

Tue, May 23 2023, 9:04 am

Make a list of the dinners you make. Calculate how much each of them cost (I.e. pizza dough, sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers). Start making the cheaper dinners more often and save the more expensive ones for special occasions.

Make oatmeal instead of cereal and milk or yogurt at least once a week.

Buy shoes from Target or Walmart.

If you find yourself buying coffee when out, buy a thermos and bring it with you from home.

When an item you use frequently goes on sale, stock up with enough for a few months.

Put paper goods in a less convenient location to encourage not using disposables all the time.

Cut up old clothes as shmattes to cut down on use of paper towels.

Make sure you are giving maaser properly (ask a Rav if you're not sure), this is a known segulah for parnasa.