My husband left his teaching position in October of 2007. The income I gain from writing (mostly online) has been enough to keep our heads above water, but only just enough so that we can breath. Things would be better if I had squeezed the finances tighter in the beginning but would’ve, should’ve or could’ve will not put money in the account.

Saving Money when There IS no Money

1. Eat from the pantry, freezer and other places where we tend to store food. I have managed to feed the family quite well using creative recipes that include items I already have. That tip only goes for so long and then you will have to start restocking, but we have made it two months without a major grocery trip.

2. Find free entertainment. Friday has become library day. After the older boys finish school and the youngest (and dad) get up from a nap then it is off to the library for movies and new books. We also try to make time to go to the recreation center to play in the gym or at the playground. Let the kids choose the activity and there is no telling where you might end up.

3. Use what you have even if it may not be what you wanted. My mother-in-law got Red Rooster plates for her wedding china. They have been in storage since my husband and I inherited them. I am NOT a rooster kind of gal. But the truth is that my kitchen is a rooster kind of kitchen and we do need new dishes and there is no reason to leave the thing that I need sitting in the shed even if the thing I need may not be exactly what I want.

4. Be honest – with yourself and with your family. Financial troubles may be able to be hidden for a time but eventually the truth will catch up and it is usually worse by that time. Talk to your family. They may have some ideas that can help you get out of trouble before you hole is too deep. Talk to the kids. Let them know that things will be tight for a bit but that you will work it out together. Honesty really is the best policy when the money is tight.

Saving money when there is no money does not always mean that you are building up a giant nest egg to use down the road. It may just mean that you are building up enough support to keep a little breathing room. It may mean that you are using every thing that you can find just to stay afloat.

No matter where you are in your financial walk, there is always something extra that you can do. Sit down and think hard about where you can cut, what you can do differently or maybe where you need to add to help keep your finances above water.

1. Turn down the heat one or two degrees – especially at night. Even better, get a thermostat that will set itself according to the time. That way, it will turn itself up before you wake and will stay off while you’re out at work.

2. Keep the lights off. We are stuck in daylights savings time (at least for a few more hours) so we should take advantage of its benefits. There are few rooms in my house that benefit from the electric lights in the morning. Leaving them off saves a little more on my electric bill.

3. Wash and dry full loads of laundry. The smaller loads take the same amount of energy. Combine loads so that the machines are full.

4. Hang your laundry out to dry. It will keep the house cooler and will save the cost of drying in the machine. Plus, the clothes will have that “sun fresh” smell when you bring them in.

5. Get movies from the library instead of the video store. No only do they usually have a great, family-friendly selection, but they will often get in the movies that you request (at no charge to you).

6. Run a sink full of hot water for washing dishes while you are cooking and eating. This way you can leave the dishes to soak briefly (while the water cools a little) and you won’t have to run the dishwasher.

7. Don’t buy it because it’s on sale – unless you had already planned to buy it before. I save coupons on “treat” items (like frozen pizzas, quick fix snacks, etc) until they go on sale. Double the coupons and I almost can get the products for free.

Saving is only part of the process to securing your finances. You have to look for creative ways to manage your money. A quick surf of the internet and I was able to find some great (and not so great) sites with financial advice for the family.

· http://petersonwong.com/125/how-to-set-up-a-family-budget/ If you don’t know where to start, then this is the site for you. It’s a quick and easy guide to get you on your way.

· http://www.generasi-m.com/personal-finance/26-family-budgets-strategies-revealed.php Here is a site that helps you see the bigger financial picture. 26 Family Budgets Strategies Revealed covers more than the money.

· http://www.frugalforlife.blogspot.com/2006/09/25-ways-i-save-money.html Not only is this Frugalforlife a great financial website the idea of 25 ways to save money has expanded all over the internet.

· http://queenbee5520.blogspot.com/2007/10/7-tips-for-creating-family-budget.html Here are some tips from the Queenbee to get your family finances headed in the right direction.

· http://www.sidetopic.com/family-budget-tips/ Here are some great ideas to divide up your spending so that you don’t feel deprived.

· http://frugaljourney.com/36-important-money-saving-tips/ If you don’t have enough tips, here are 36 more to save you money.

· http://reallifesolutions.net/blog/tips-for-sticking-to-a-family-budget/ Real Life has some great budgeting tips and also links to resources to help you in your goals.

What are you favorite tips (or sites) that help with your budget or finding creative ways to save?

There are people out there who find ways to save over 50% on their grocery bills. I was always amazed by this idea. I clip coupons. I look for extra savings (where it’s already on sale AND I have a coupon). I even write the manufacturers for coupons. But I have yet to reach the Mecca that these ladies have found.

Part of the reason is that I live in a small community. We don’t have a multitude of grocery stores to choose from. The two stores that we do have are small and don’t offer as much variety as some of the mega grocery stores (that I would LOVE to have around here).

My second problem, and it is probably the larger one, is that I do all of my shopping at the same time. I do my stocking up and weekly essentials at once. Going to the store just to buy items that are on sale is just not an option.

Most weeks find me saving about 15% on my total grocery bill. Some weeks it has been as much as 30%. I don’t spend hours hunting coupons or spend money on services to find the sales for me. Here are the easy, time saving things that I do to save at the store.

1. Use someone else’s coupons. My husband’s aunt and dad both share their coupons with us. I simply cut out the ones that I might use with our family.

2. Keep it organized. I have an expandable folder that I found at the dollar store for just fifty cents. I made each pocket a category (breakfast, breads, dairy, etc) and then I store the coupons in the folder.

3. Check out the sales. When I am at the grocery store, I try to look at the sales and compare them with my coupons. Often there are items I don’t have on my list but that I can get for a great deal. (The other day I got two pounds of baby carrots for $1 – I’ll freeze most of them for cooking with later).

4. Don’t get it just because the coupon will expire. Unless it is something I HAVE to have anyway then I just let the coupon expire. It seems that some companies are always putting out coupons, so I just wait until the next batch.

5. Never, never, never buy cereal without a coupon.

As the grocery prices continue to climb, every little bit help. You might try looking at some of the online services to see if they could benefit you. Which ever route you take, planning and organization will get you a long ways to saving at the grocery store.