Frugal Mommas...Help Me Quit My Job

[melissabb]

Hi mommas,

i don't drop by this thread often but I am hoping you will all help me out anyway!

Here's the story....

I have a full-time home daycare - 5 kids every day. Hubby is self-employed, a Chiropractor. So, between the two of us we bring in enough to live comfortably and have some savings in the bank.

Two weeks ago I came down with appendicitis and ended up having surgery. As a result I had a week and a half off from daycare and just with my own family. IT WAS FABULOUS!!

Now, I always say that things happen for a reason. Maybe I needed to see how much stress and time having my home open to daycare caused me. Even though I was sore and hurting from the surgery it was the most blissful 10 days of my life! Even my DD who is 3 said to me yesterday (the daycare kids were all back yesterday) , "Mommy, I liked it when it was just a day with you".

My heart melted.

So, I am thinking of quitting in September except for the family that lives across the street. I have had them since the beginning and their daughter and mine are great friends. They only come 2-3 days a week and some weeks not at all.

So, I am hoping you can all give me the top 5 things that help you save major household expenses so I can quit.

Many, many, many thanks in advance!

[justmama]

cable tv
lower heat and cooling costs by turning down the heat and down the ac
turn off lights when not in use
hang clothing to dry instead of using dryer
stop eating out and stopping for that $3-5 cup of coffee
make more foods from scratch instead of prepared foods
make a budget and stick to it(no more just because toy buying!)


Hope that helps a little! I know, I used ot have a daycare. I cut down to only one kid and it's amazing what kind of difference it makes in stress levels. People don't realize that you work for basically nothing and your day does not end when the kids go home!!!!!

[Malva]

Getting rid of the second car. Driving the one you have less, consolidating trips, walking/biking places instead.

Selling our only car allowed us to afford having my dh home full time. But we live near downtown Ottawa and can bike everywhere from April to Nov and walk everywhere during the colder months.

Track every penny you spend for 2 to 4 weeks. I'm sure you'll find alot of areas where money could be saved. Do you budget all of your income? Every dollar earned should have a specific function from the get go.

Can you lower spending for fun stuff? Use the library instead of the video store and bookstore. Go for a hike instead of the movie. Don't go into stores unless you're getting something specific.

Join a food buying club (check www.onfc.ca) in your area to get alot of stuff cheaper than at the health food store. Plan your menus.

[cupofjojo]

Sorry this is long!

For us its been:

1. Running major appliances washer, dishwasher, etc. at night.
2. We only have basic cable $13 a month.
3. We get all books from the library or used.
4. Thrift store / Yard sale shopping before buying new.
5. Errands only once a week - saves on gas and wear & tear on the car.
6. The tracking expenses is huge. Know where your pitfalls are.
7. Budget now for unexpected expenses. Car repair, emergency travel.
8. Cook once a month; our biggest grocery expenses are done early in the month. Produce & dairy are then all you need.
9. I buy canned goods only on sale and when possible stock the ones used regularly when really good sales are on.
10. If my budget is getting out of whack; I only use cash until its back on track. No check, no credit cards. Its amazing when you see what is left in your wallet how your judgment changes on what you "need." You also can't buy more than the cash in your wallet.
11. Fill up gas in the morning. It really does save a money in the long run. Something to do with the volume of the gas as it heats up being less.
12. We have an annual yard sale that makes us a little extra $ each year.
13. My family lives away so most of them do gift cards for holidays/birthdays. We usually ask for a Target or Walmart so we then can use it on groceries and household items. DS still always gets his gift but DH & I use ours for necessities.
14. We buy a membership each year to the zoo or a museum. That's where we go for entertainment. We pack lunch and have a day out. In 3 zoo visits its paid for itself.
15. Check your credit card statements often - each year we end up with about $75 of unexplained charges that we always have removed. Our cards are paid off in full every month on auto pay so the charges are always bogus but the clerk told us lots of people don't notice. Same goes for cable and phone bills. If you have any questions call we've ended up with $30 credits each year on these utilities.
16. If you get multiple magazine subscriptions decide on the 1 you'll keep. Also check to make sure none of them are on auto renewal.
17. I do a lot of gift shopping on line, look for free shipping deals & usually don't have it wrapped. It saves me postage, time and wrapping paper cost. Most people are excited opening a box even not wrapped when it comes in the mail.
18. We read our news on-line. Seemed we were not reading a lot of the paper so spending $ for it was pointless for us.
19. Shop without kids. DS always wants something extra or unnecessary when he shops with me. I've started shopping without him and can stick to the list. Its saved about $80 in 3 months.
    
    Its working for us - we'll be free & clear from our mortgage in 2 years.