Easy ways the entire family can help save money each month

Are you looking to save money each month but have no idea where to begin?

Have you ever looked at your family’s budget? If you really look at it we can almost guarantee that there are items you did not need or should not have purchased. We all work hard for our money but are left to ask where did all of it go at the end of the month when there’s nothing left to save. Living in a consumer society we often find ourselves purchasing items that are not needed and that we can do without simply to have them.

This article helps to provide some suggestions on ways that you can involve your family to help saving money every single month. Some actions are easier to adopt than others and some are awfully hard for people to do. Implementing one or all of these tips and suggestions should help reduce the amount of money your family is spending each month in these “luxury” areas. Remember this is your money so do what you can to keep as much of it in your bank as possible.

Make dinners and pack lunches most days

You would be surprised at how quickly the cost of food can add up for the average sized family during a typical month. Most of us go to the grocery store at least once a week and buy items that should help us to make breakfasts, lunches, and dinners throughout the entire week. Based on the size of your family your grocery bill could be anywhere from around $100 to several hundred dollars per week. This does not include any of the restaurants or other places that you go out to eat also.

If you are serious about your grocery savings, then each month make it your goal to cook dinner and eat at home and to pack leftovers for work and school to get you through the week. We promise that if you follow this advice you can save hundreds of dollars per month on food costs. Make sure everyone in the family helps contribute to the grocery list and meal plan for each week.

Stick to your grocery list

Cooking at home and packing lunches is only going to save you money if you stick to your grocery list. You should sit with your family before going to the grocery store to develop a meal plan for the week including snacks. You must also develop a weekly budget and stick to that number no matter what. Sticking to your grocery list and budget really helps make sure that you rake in the savings.

Shop for sale items and plan meals around them

Your local grocery store should have an ad each week that announces the sale items. You can take this local ad and use it to your advantage by planning your meals around those sale items ensuring you get the best prices on the items that you are buying.

Celebrate birthdays and holidays for cheap

Getting together as a family to celebrate the holidays or a loved one’s birthday is always such a great thing to do. It is also an expensive thing to do every year. After buying all of those presents, tasty foods and decorations the cost can really add up to throw a party. Instead of opting for expensive decorations maybe you can go to a park, beach, museum, or other location in your local area that is free for residents or low-cost. Remember that holidays and parties don’t need to break the bank to be fun and it’s really more about the memories than the decorations anyway.

Never buy new (when you can)

Going to retail stores and paying full price for items is never enjoyable. You can easily go over budget with just a few items at a major retail store. Get your family on board to go to discount shopping stores such as Ross and TJ Maxx or even to Goodwill and other locations that offer discounted clothing and household goods. Your budget will go much farther at the stores and you can still get good quality items that would be at the other major retailers for up to 80% off.

Cancel any subscriptions or Services you no longer use

Take a look at your monthly bills and see if there is anything that you can cut out such as cable television, streaming music services, website subscriptions and anything else you can think of that’s costing you money each month. Because our lives are constantly changing we might not need certain services anymore or we might have a new service that has replaced a couple old services. In order to decide if this is a service worth keeping, simply ask yourself do I really need this? Is it actually a benefit to me and is it a value based on the money that I’m spending? If the answer is NO, then you should cancel that right away and never pay another dime.

Always look for coupons and discounts online

We are in the e-commerce age folks and that means that all the major retailers are out there online for you to shop at. With competition at an all-time high, many companies are offering incentives for customers to purchase from them. Check out websites like CouponBum before you buy anything in order to save extra money and get special discounts and deals on groceries that you’re going to buy.

Watch your energy and water costs

One of the highest bills is the electric bill each month for most families. Every single activity that we do in the house seems to draw more and more electricity and that ends up costing us more at the end of the month. If your family can utilize devices that do not draw as much electricity and monitor your usage throughout the month, then you can easily save 10% to 15% without any Lifestyle Changes.

For example, installing a programmable thermostat can help save money but adjusting temperatures while no one is in the house during the day. On the same note adjusting your temperature by just 1 or 2 degrees can save you money each month as well. Just ask if you really need a house to be 75 degrees Fahrenheit or can it be 76° Fahrenheit while still offering you comfortable conditions.

Another major factor throughout the month can be your water and sewer costs. With everybody in the house using water in the bathroom and kitchen areas it adds up pretty quickly. Remember to teach everyone in your house about reducing the amount of water they use throughout the day. It is a simple activity that everyone can help with around the house.

Make saving fun

One of my favorite things to do is to challenge my family to see who can save the most. Now when a family member tells us what they did to save money they can get a gold star or mark on a board. Whoever has the most stars at the end of the week we’ll get an extra special gift for being the “Biggest Weekly Saver”. The prize can be anything from an extra piece of dessert, more TV time or anything else that you can think of to motivate your family.

We hope that you and your family can use these tips to save money each month and live a better life. Discover.com recommends teaching your family how to save and talking together about budgets. Working together to save money is not only fun but it’s rewarding as well and you can use the funds that you don’t spend to do something awesome for your family.

Just remember that you do not have to pay full retail for anything and you should not spend all of your money on groceries and utilities each month. Save your hard-earned cash or something that really matters in life.

Love always,

Mr. CouponBum