Saving Money on a Day to Day Basis

As I wrote previously about our current financial situation (read here) and how we are working to get out of debt, I couldn’t help but spend the next few days thinking about ways we work to save money EVERY single DAY.

So I consciously wrote down what we do as I went through my day. Thus I created the following list to share what we have learned with you:

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Child needs
 

·       Cloth diapers

·       Borrow baby items

·       Buy used baby items through Facebook exchange sites and Craigslist

·       Use baby items given to you

·       Breastfeed

·       Focus on needs only. Stay away from all the tempting wants.

·       Use coupons and shops sales

·        Get professional pictures done when major sales are occurring (like waived sitting fees)
 

Grocery Shopping & Eating
 

·       Shop at the store as few times as possible each month

·       Always take a grocery list with you, stick to this list

·       Pre-plan meals 

·       Send the significant other identified as the saver or someone that will help you stay focused on needs

·       Shop sales

·       Buy generic products over brand name

·       Eat at home

·       Plan for leftovers with at least 1 meal/day

·       Eat leftovers

·       Make as many foods homemade as you can (bread, tortillas, pizza)
Grow a garden and can any surplus vegetables/fruits
Keep inventory of items in your pantry and freezer(s). Look at this list frequently to ensure all items are used.

·       Junk food, coffee, and pop are luxury items rarely in our house.

·       Homemade desserts (cookies, brownies, pies) are regularly made on the weekends to satisfy our sweet tooth.

When you do go out:
 

·       Consider splitting your meal in half, eat half at restaurant and take the other half for your lunch the next day.

·       Challenge yourself to drink water while out. All other drinks can add up quickly.

·       If you are drinking alcohol, alternate drinking water as well to decrease the amount of alcohol consumed

·       Use coupons

·       Join rewards programs to get coupons (dairy queen, sonic, etc)

·       Consider the specials for the night (although evaluate if it is a good deal)

With Utilities

·       Shop around for the best deal

·       Continue to shop around at least 1x per year, just to be sure you still have the best deal

·       Disconnect tv services

·       Use Hulu and other free sites to watch television

·       If necessary, purchase Hulu Plus or Netflix for television. Either of these options is 7.99/month

·       Cancel Netflix and/or Hulu Plus during time when your favorite shows aren't airing new episodes, typically during the summer

·       Line dry your clothes whenever possible to save on your monthly utility bill
 

·       DIY build a rain barrel to cut back on yard watering

·       During the winter, keeps the thermostat settings as cool as you can.

·       During the summer, keep the thermostat settings as warm as you can.

·       Have your thermostat automatically set to be warmer/cooler (depending on the season) when you are regularly gone (for example, when everyone is at work).

Personal Hygiene Products/ Personal Care

·       Make your own soaps (laundry, body, dishwasher)

·       Make your own cleaners

·       Make your own deodorant
 

Get the idea.... Anything you can make will most likely be cheaper than what you can buy

·       Sell make-up/skin-care products, build up your business at least enough to make the cost of these products free to you

·       Dry your razor after every use. The razor will last longer.

·       If you buy a shampoo or conditioner and don't like it (who hasn't done this?), use it for something else, like shaving cream or the conditioner can be used for homemade laundry softener)

·       Postpone haircuts until you absolutely need them

Exercise

·       Cancel gym memberships

·       Use Pinterest to find workouts already created to try

·       Use YouTube to find workouts already created to try

·       Find a workout partner that will help to stay motivated (they may or may not actually work out with you, but they could cheer you on with your successes)

·       Set a goal for yourself and work towards that (such as run a 5k)

·       Get outside

Home

·       Change air conditioner filters as recommended

·       Clean air conditioner annually

·       Put extra money towards mortgage to save on interest

·       Own home rather than rent

·       Own a house that you can AFFORD. General rule of thumb seems to be no more than double your annual income.

·       Maintain your home. Do not hire a handyman for repairs, do it yourself.

Vehicle

·       Change oil to maintain vehicle

·       Own rather than rent

·       If you have loan, pay off as quickly as possible
The best way to save money is to pay for a vehicle without taking out a loan

·       For long trips, wash car, your vehicle will get the best mileage

·       Use the gasbuddy app to find best gas rates in your area before you fill up your car

·       Plan ahead for errands. Run all you errands in 1 trip instead of many little trips

Credit Cards

·       Pay all cards as you go, NO payments

·       Get on a reward program and use earned cash to make extra payments on debt

·       If you will be too enticed to buy large items and make payments, say “NO” to any and all credit card offers

Insurance

·       For all insurance (life, home, car,etc), shop around

·       Know that generally it is cheaper to lump everything together, BUT that is NOT ALWAYS true.

·       Always read through your insurance paperwork. We have found errors that we were paying for (did you know rates are higher if you have a fireplace).

·       Reevaluate your insurance policies yearly. Make sure you coverage amounts are accurate.

·       Shop around yearly to make sure you are still getting the best bang for your buck. Many people get too comfortable with their insurance companies and let increasing costs slide. Keep your insurance company competitive.

·       For vehicles: When you get a window ding or chip, double-check to see if you insurance will allow this to be fixed (for instance, through Safelite) and fix it if it does! Most policies do this and most people don’t take advantage!

Clothing

·       Sell anything you don't use, need, or like

·       Buy secondhand

·       Borrow items that you won’t use regularly. This could include interview outfit, a one-time formal event, maternity clothes, etc.

·       Set a budget and stick to it

·       Focus only on essentials (if you don’t have to dress professionally, don’t have more than 1 professional outfit)

·       Avoid going to stores, even to browse. This will help to avoid impulses

·       Throw away catalogs as they come. If you don't know what they are selling, you are less likely to give into impulse buying

·       If you must buy new, shop around for the best deal.

·       If you must buy new, use coupons or use the internet to see if you can find coupon codes (this site has many coupon codes)

·       Separate your needs from your wants. Focus on needs.

·       List your want to present ideas for your family and friends that need ideas

Entertainment

·       Focus on finding low cost or FREE thing to do in your community

·       Plan special nights at home (game night or movie night anyone)

·       Budget for nights out (so you know you can afford them and so you have nights out to look forward to)

Miscellaneous

·       No magazine subscriptions, unless they are a gift

·       Create a budget every single month!

·       Set financial goals you are working towards. Write that goal down (find a picture that represents as well) and put where you can see it every day! It will remind you of what you are working towards.

·       Plan for 1 week each month where no shopping is allowed. This occurs more frequently for us during the first week of the month. We use this time to use up the surplus foods we have in the house that we forgot about!

·       Save your change! We always collect our change in a jar to use for extra spending money on trips! It adds up!

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There you have it! I hope you find something in my list that you didn’t know before!

What ways do you save money on a daily basis that I missed?

Forming a New Habit: Learning to Give Up Control

The other day at work some coworkers and I started to discuss personal weaknesses. The following question was posed:

* What do you think your significant other (or anyone very important in your life) would say your biggest weakness is?

Well?!?!? What would you answer? I think mine is easy, although I would have to check with the hubby to be sure. I think my husband would say my biggest weakness is that I have control issues. That is putting it mildly. My husband would say it in the nicest way possible and mean it in the nicest way possible. I, on the other hand, will say just come out and say that I have MAJOR control issues. 

My entire day is structured around me doing something constantly. I run a tight ship. I would say 80% of my life is about pre-planning (work duties, taking baby to daycare or out anywhere for that matter, clothes, household chores, traveling, weekend company, etc.). Everything in life takes some pre-planning to a degree. For instance, if I don’t make sure the laundry is done how on earth will we all make it to work?

All these control issues make me exhausted, I must admit. I ended my day, after talking with coworkers, contemplating the power of change. I believe full heartedly in change and believe people can change. It just takes work. Lots of work. I started asking myself, “am I ready to change how controlling I am?” The answer would be a resounding, “YES!”

Thus, my personal challenge to Learn to Give Up Control was born!

The next question was, “how long will it take to make this change and make it a habit?” I do not wish to temporarily give up control, I want it to become more of a way of life for me. I don’t like being too extreme on the spectrum. If I could put myself in the middle of the spectrum, then I would like to find a way to stay there.

Google search "forming a habit" and I seem to be seeing a lot of information on it taking 21 days to form a habit. This is a pretty hefty change to make, so I am not certain 21 days will be enough. Read this article. To summarize (if you don’t have time to read) forming new habits can take 18-254 days based on a 2009 psychology study.  Creating a new habit and giving up the old will depend on the person, dedication, what is being changed, and so on. Because I am not seeing any definitive number of days, I have decided to pull a day out randomly and plan to extend my goal if needed. I will give myself 60 days, or about 2 months.

Start day to form my new habit of giving up control: 10/29/13

End date for new habit of giving up control: 12/28/13

I should have this habit changed just in time for New Year’s (the time of year for setting new goals)!

I invite you to join me as I take on this challenge to change a habit. What change will you be making?

Words of Wisdom Shared From Personal Struggles with Breastfeeding

I am not a lactation specialist. I am not a medical practitioner. I have no work experience in the medical field.

I am a first-time mom; a first-time mother who struggled significantly with successfully breastfeeding her daughter. This is my story.

Making the decision to breastfeed or formula feed was an easy one for me. I simply chose breastfeeding. Little did I know, committing to that decision and trying to make breastfeeding work for my little and me would be quite challenging. I struggled.

At the hospital, after the birth of my child, I quickly became familiar with the terms inverted nipple, breastshells, nipple shield, and poor latch. My nerves quickly kicked in that I wouldn’t be able to deal with all of these issues, breastfeed, AND learn how to care for a newborn at the same time. Let's not forget, exhaustion was knocking on my door as well!

One of the issues I faced was that I was getting different information from everyone around me. My friends, family, nurses, doctor, and lactation specialist all gave me advice (sometimes the advice contradicted someone else’s advice but all were just trying to be helpful) and overwhelmed me. I was also stressed out. No one really mentioned to me that choosing to breastfeed would be hard!

Although all the advice was overwhelming and confusing for me, it was great to have such a strong support team! They kept me from giving up and switching to formula, even weeks later when I encountered different problems.

For those of you who hear the same words that I heard, there are tools out there that can help you! If you have access to a lactation specialist at the hospital, I suggest using them even if you aren’t having issues. I was able to be become educated by my lactation specialist on what a good latch looks like and the different holds there are. More importantly, she reassured me that what I was going through (feelings, struggles, etc.) was perfectly normal and that they would pass. She was right.

Those of you reading this and hoping to breastfeed your child when he/she is born, I would like you to know this:

1.   Breastfeeding can be challenging in the beginning as you and your child both learn about what works for the two of you.

2.   Everyone will have advice for you, solicited or unsolicited. Keep in mind they are well intentioned and at the end of the day they will become your biggest cheerleader as they support you with successfully breastfeeding!

3.   Drink lots of water! This does help with milk production.

4.   Make sure you are eating enough (typically your doctor will recommend an extra 500 calories/day). Check with your doctor to be sure and if you have any concerns.

5.   When breastfeeding correctly (good latch), there should be no pain. That being said, I would say though that there will most likely be some discomfort in the beginning. Looking back, I think that was because as first-timers, we do occasionally have a bad latch and don’t realize. It may not hurt immediately with a bad latch but eventually will hurt later when the nipples are dry and cracked. I also think that going from not breastfeeding (0 times/day) to breastfeeding frequently with an infant (6-12 times/day) can easily attribute to dry, cracked nipples.

Another form of pain that few seem to mention is engorgement. There will be times when you will have a full supply and your breasts will hurt because milk needs released. In the words of my lactation specialist, “Before your milk regulates, you will question if your body thinks you are feeding an army.” It’s true.

If your child isn’t hungry, this becomes quite challenging. Pumping could cause your body to regulate and have a supply ready at this time always (I chose this route and always woke up engorged at about 3AM). Not pumping means you have to endure the pain. I have heard that if you pump just a little (1-2 ounces) you could relieve some of the pain and not have your body make this time frame a habit. I did try this and it didn’t work for me. My breasts would continue to be engorged for months regardless of what I did. 

6.   Find nipple creams that work for you (I use Lanolin) and use them frequently during the first several weeks. I would suggest using them more as a preventative measure, rather than waiting for the discomfort to occur. It can be excruciating when your nipples are sore and hurting AND you still have to feed and/or pump. I also found dipping my breasts into a salt water mixture for a few minutes every day helped greatly!

7.   Expect that it could take a while before you are completely comfortable with breastfeeding and your routine. When I was so stressed out at the hospital a friend said to me that she didn’t feel completely certain of what she was doing until 8 weeks. She explained that it would just click one day and you will think, “why was this so hard?” That day didn’t actually come for me until 12 weeks. Now, at 6 months, I am already feeling a bit sad that I am at the half-way point for when I plan to quit breastfeeding. The end will be bittersweet. 

8.   It is typically recommended that your breastfeeding routine is established for 2 weeks before introducing a bottle. I was so exhausted in my first week with our little one that I had my husband get up one night and give a bottle. I actually had no issues with her latching back on to me after that, however, I later learned that I shouldn’t have done that. I guess this depends on your child. In my case, the option was to have a mother that was not appropriately taking care of herself (I seriously had not slept since she was born) or have someone who had been taking care of himself watch her (daddy did get sleep). In most cases, the best caregiver is the one that is taking good care of themselves first. This situation also created good bonding time for daddy and our newborn. My personal advice: do what you think is right. You are the parent.

9.   If you do have to use a nipple shield (for latch-on problems)  or breastshells (for dry and/or cracked nipples)you will most likely be advised to wean yourself off of using these as soon as possible. I definitely was and it made me put a lot of pressure on myself to stop using the shield as soon as possible. It still took me 6 weeks before I stopped. I have since met people who have used the shield for various time frames (one mom used for 16 weeks) and everything turned out okay. Rest assured in knowing that the transition off of the nipple shield will come in time, don’t rush it! I tried several times and became so frustrated I turned right back to the nipple shield. One day, my child was in such a hurry to eat, I didn’t have time to put the shield on and she latched with NO ISSUES. The transition was that easy! 

10.    Take a deep breathe. I can tell you, if you are facing challenges, you will feel so much more accomplished when you are successfully breastfeeding just from overcoming your obstacles. Hang in there!

Contact me if you have questions or just need a cheerleader as you maneuver through the world of breastfeeding your child!

I know there are moms out there who wish they could breastfeed, but can't for various reasons. I am so grateful that, at least for our first child, I have been able to successfully breastfeed her. 

What is/was your biggest concern with breastfeeding?