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by Sara Jo Poff
Whether you're looking for ways to cut costs or just need some age-old advice, here are some basics on frugal living.
Clothes/Household
Even for those who prefer new clothing and household items, don't overlook secondhand stores. In our area, we have Goodwill and Salvation Army. While most of the merchandise there is used, they often receive new clothing and household items from Target that were leftover from clearance racks. And while clearance prices are already low, secondhand stores mark down these prices even more once they get them. Sometimes, they even have Target's sample clothing items, such as winter jackets. You can distinguish these items from others because many times, the secondhand store will have an abundance of these specific items in their store; and they usually do not have care instruction tags on them. I often purchase brand new winter jackets for under $8.00 and shoes for around $2.00 this way. For families with children at various ages, this is a great way to find brand new matching shirts (for Christmas/family pictures!), shoes, etc., in different sizes.
You may even be able to find things like, bedding, curtains, and small furniture such as bookshelves and entertainment stands. These new furniture items donated from other stores are usually still in the box and ready to be assembled.
If you're in the market for larger furniture items, don't forget to check the scratch-and-dent sections of furniture stores. Our most recent large furniture purchase involved a large oak dining room set. In a scratch-and-dent section, we found just that, including six chairs, two of them captain's chairs, for $499.00. The same set was currently with the floor models for $999.00. It was in the scratch-and-dent section because one small spot on the table had hardly visible scratches. With four young children, those scratches would've been there the first day at our house anyway! You may even be able to find new dining sets even cheaper than this. Furniture discount warehouses often have thrifty prices on past models of furniture.
Clearance: one of my favorite words. At department stores, buy the end-of-the-season clearance items for the following year. In extreme weather states, this means buying shorts in July or August and winter gear in January or February. Make sure to buy them big, allowing for your child's growth. For younger children, go one to two sizes larger. Older children often don't grow as fast, so one size larger will usually be enough. While many of us have heard this advice for years, it's often overlooked or forgotten. Schedule this shopping for the appropriate time of year and follow through. The window of time for these items to be on clearance is relatively short. Oftentimes, we find ourselves at the beginning of a new season in need of these things. When this happens, paying full price is inevitable.
Movies/Books
The library is one of our family's favorite places in the world. We are there at least once a week, even though materials are loaned for three-week periods. Our family's Friday "Pizza and a Movie Night" evolved from spending $4 each week at the video store to $0 (or $1 for late fees) at the library. Libraries usually have extensive collections of videos and DVD's, and most of them are loaned for at least a one-week period rather than a couple of days like most video stores. Instead of purchasing the books in a catalog that interest us, we first request them from our library. Turn on your computer, go online, open up the catalog with all those enticing books, and request the ones that interest you from your library. I've found around 80% of any given books out of a catalog from our library. After reading them, purchase only the ones you know you'll want to read again or have around for reference.
Don't forget to bargain shop for the books you've decided to buy. Call around to used book stores in your area to see if they have it; or purchase them used from online sources such as Amazon.com (which also has new books). If you can't purchase the books right away or just choose not to, keep a list of all the books you're interesting in buying. Carry this list with you when you go garage sale shopping; or keep it at your desk to use when you're online.
Fuel
Don't forget to "budget" your gas. Especially for homeschooling moms, teaching seems to be more productive when errands aren't calling us out of the home. Therefore, gas should usually not be a high-budget item. In our house, we fill up our main family vehicle's gas tank on Sunday or Monday each week. That is our "gas ration" for the week. This has
definitely helped me decide whether to spend our family's precious time running out to do something or not. If those extra, unnecessary outings cause you to fill up your tank twice a week instead of once, it could be costing around $80 to $120 a month extra in gas alone. It adds up!
Breastfeeding
Aside from the health benefits, breastfeeding is the best choice when it comes to saving money. Breastfeeding facts in 2001 showed the annual cost of breastfeeding to be $300 (assuming an extra 200-500 calorie intake for the mother); whereas formula feeding's (using powdered formula) annual cost is $1,188. Powdered formula costs an average of 12 cents per ounce, which can average around $90-$120 a month! The cost greatly increases with liquid and ready-to-feed formula. For those who benefit from programs such as WIC, formula still costs the United States, through this program, $600 million a year. Although breastfeeding involves a much higher level of self-sacrifice and commitment, the persistence pays off, both financially for the parents and developmentally for the baby.
Baby Food
While we know time is money, some of us may have a tiny bit more time than money to spare. Making your own baby food can be an excellent way to cut costs and give your baby a healthy alternative to jarred foods. If you already have a blender and ice cube trays, making homemade baby food will not take up a huge amount of time from your already busy schedule. For instance, compare the cost of bananas. At 49 cents per pound, a three-pound bunch of bananas will cost you $1.47. That amount of bananas will make the equivalent of around four to six baby food jars at a fraction of the cost. With that being one food, a few more fruits and vegetables would cut your baby food costs at least in half each week alone.
There are many helpful books available at your local library on making homemade baby food. Super Foods for Babies and Children, by Annabel Karmel (Attia Books, 2006) is a wonderful new book with ideas and recipes.
School Supplies
This isn't a huge secret, especially for homeschooling moms. Stock up heavily on notebooks, pencils, crayons, folders, three-ring binders, etc. during late summer when back-to-school sales are happening. Always have extra crayons, markers, etc., on hand for neighbor kids' birthday presents.
Clip Coupons
While this does, once again, rely on the time vs. money principle, clipping coupons is a great way to save money. The Sunday paper is a great place to find coupons for household products and food. You can also print coupons online. Websites abound on the internet with printable coupons. It does take some organization, however. I have a three-ring binder with my dinner menus and grocery list paper that I keep my coupons in. When I make my weekly grocery list, I find coupons for the items I will purchase that week and keep them with my list. This way, it
isn't necessary to carry them in my purse all the time.
Fun
When it's time for a family outing or field trip, compare weekday vs. weekend prices. Bowling alleys and waterparks are examples of places that often have cheaper weekday rates. If you're going to see a movie, rearranging your schedule to see a matinee could save a family of five an average of $10.00 per outing. For other tips and advice on frugal living, check your local library for books such as Frugal Living for Dummies, or visit websites like thefrugalshopper.com, frugalshoppingnetwork.com, and frugalmom.net.
About the author:
Sara Jo Poff and her husband Pete homeschool their four children, ages 1 to 10. She is a previous Nursery Director for their local church and is
currently a member of various homeschooling organizations. The Poff's
reside in Zimmerman, Minnesota.
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