This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
We have had a few changes in our financial situation over the past few months. When you are self employed you don’t really know what your income will be each month. Plus we have been moving and getting all the kids check ups done for back to school – so our budget has been very different each month. My goal is to get our bare minimum budget as low as possible. Then I save the rest so we can have a cushion for the months when money is a little tighter.
Here are the ways I have been trying to tighten our budget.
Cell Phone Bill– We all have been locked into a long cell phone contract. This really stinks because maybe you see a plan a few months into your contract is offering a much better deal. It cost a lot to break a contract. This week I stopped by a Sprint store to check into my options. When you switch to Sprint they will pay the fees that you have to pay to break your contract. It looks like they will be able to save me at least $25 per month so this may be a great option. (Saving of $300 per year or more depending on your plan.) Plus we would be able to sell our old cell phones for additional cash.
Insurance – We all need insurance. We need to have car insurance, health insurance, home owners insurance, etc. We are comparing home owner insurance policies and I discovered that if I bundle my car insurance and home owners insurance with the same company, I will save an additional $100 per year on my car insurance policy. Speak to a local insurance agent to find out if this benefit is available for you. We moved from Florida to Kentucky and our car insurance rates were already cut in half – so I am saving more than $100 a year.
Digital Coupons – If I had time to clip coupons and hit all the sales I would probably save a lot of money. But I am busy – I don’t have time to print, clip, and organize my coupons. Nor do I have time to run to 4 different stores to save a few bucks. (Sometimes it’s worth it for a product I use all the time – but not all the time.) So I use digital coupons.
I do most of my shopping at Kroger because I can load store and manufacturers coupons to my Kroger Card. For example, I got $9 sunscreen for $1 because I added the coupons to my card. I love Tide and I was able to get the $12 bottle for $7 after the digital coupons. It only takes a few minutes and I save a lot each week when I shop. I also take advantage of the Fuel Points and shop when they offer double points. I save a least .50 cents per gallon whenever I fill up.
Find Free Entertainment – This summer we have been to events at the library, visited a splash pad, and gone swimming at our community pool. There are a lot of things to do that don’t cost much (or anything). Local movie theaters have free movies or other entertainment centers may have a day when they are cheaper. Just do a quick search on Google and you will find something to do. Macaroni Kids is a great resource for events in your area.
Make your lunch – It is so tempting to go out to lunch. You can save a lot of money if you pack your lunch everyday. It’s also probably a lot healthier if you bring your own food.
These are just a few tips I use to save a little more money each month. It may seem like a little amount of money but it’s worth it to save each year – it will add up!