Make your own household cleaners:
Vinegar and lemon juice can do amazing things. Plus you get the benefit of ditching those nasty chemicals with those awful smells. Plus ants, spiders and other bugs hate the smell of vinegar so that's a plus in my book.
Freezer meals:
We all know buying in bulk can save money. This also helps save on time if you are a busy mom. Here are my favorite make ahead meals to prep, bag, and freeze. Most of these can be thrown into a crockpot or right into the oven.
*Honey-lime chicken
*teriyaki chicken
*lasagna
*sweet and sour chicken
*cilantro-lime chicken tacos(crockpot, shred the chicken and seve on totillas)
*Philly cheesesteaks (slice steak, onion, mushrooms, peppers and toss into one bag, super easy)
Coupons:
There are many great sites out there that let you know what stores are having what sales and what coupons to print and use. I have saved big from using coupons. Check out coupons.com and thekrazycouponlady.com These are great sites I check regularly.
Dine out much:
I know cooking every night can be a drag and how easy it is to just pick something up on the way back from work. Try cutting back and checking out restaurant.com for cheap gift cards. You can purchase a $25 card for $10 bucks....crazy right.
Meal planning:
Simple, make a list of what you plan to have for every night of the week....and stick to it.
''Shop the cupboards"
Just once a week, take an inventory of what’s in your cupboard and fridge. Try planning a meal that requires no extra ingredients. You’ll not only get rid of lingering groceries, you’ll reduce your shopping list for the week.
Netflix:
Switch from cable to Netflix and save up to $40 a month. Netflix has a great variety of shows and movies.
Get your veg on:
It is impossible to get coupons on high price items like meat. So go meatless at least once a week.
Learn how to can:
This is surprisingly fun and you can can almost anything. (I like to make homemade pasta sauces and salsa to can)
Gas prices stink:
Check out a site called Gasbuddy.com before you head out for a fill up. It will give you the current prices of gas at stations near you.
Birthday clubs:
I love birthday time. You can sign up tons of restaurants for free goodies on your birthday. Not just coupons I mean freebies. Free meals, free ice cream and more. Check out freebie-depot.com for info.
Give up your bad habits(in moderation):
Whether it's coffee habit or any other simple little pleasure, learn to cut back. I'm not one to speak because I love those yummy iced coffees. When I did the math I realized I spent around $15 bucks a week on coffee, yeesh. At first I cut it down to 2 days a week but now I make my own. It's surprisingly easy and pretty tasty.
GO GREEN TO SAVE BIG!
Weatherstripping:
In the summer you wanna keep in the cool air and the warm air in the winter obviously. Caulk your window, doors and any other entry point.
Light bulbs:
You know those odd looking Compact Fluorescent light bulbs I'm talking about. They're a little bit more expensive but they use up to 75% less energy. They also last around ten times longer.
Hang clothes.:
Forget the dryer. Buy a clothesline or even make one. You are sure to save big on those nice warm days. Even during the winter i will hang things around the home, then again loads are usually small. If you think it is unsightly then just hang them overnight.
Cold water:
Around 90% of the energy being used to wash clothes is used to heat the water. That's crazy. This is one tip I will definitely never forget to do.
