It started around August of 2010. For the last few years our leanest money months were in the fall. Early spring and summer were great, as I have a lucrative seasonal job in the spring and socked the money away for the rest of the year. Each year that money seemed to last less time than the year before, what with rising prices at the stores and gas pumps, not to mention our oil and propane bills.
Last August I decided I had had enough. I purchased a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette and read it. Then I read it again. Although some of the specific ideas are outdated, if you are receptive the books change your way of thinking about EVERYTHING you do.
I began couponing in earnest, working the sales and coupon cycles to stock up on stuff we need. I cook from scratch (which I did before, but now that I was using the coupons and buying my supplies for cheap, our meals were even less expensive). A few years ago my family chipped in and purchased a little chest freezer for me, which I fill up once a month at the Save-A-Lot meat sale. Between the coupons and sales, I would say that I was saving 40-50% on my grocery bills from the get-go, and I managed to build a comfortable stockpile of items that we use on a regular basis. I am not an extreme couponer with 150 rolls of toilet paper stashed around the house, but I do have my little stashes of free deodorant, toothpaste, soap.....
I replaced paper napkins with the 18 pack of bright washcloths from Walmart that cost about $2. When I first did this I didn't think it would have much of an impact, but I've been amazed at how long the roll of paper towels lasts now.
Driving home one day from shopping I saw a bread machine at a little yard sale (one of our elderly neighbors always has stuff out in his yard). I stopped in and picked it up for $10, including the recipe book. It wouldn't have been a frugal buy if I had purchased one brand new, but I have used it A LOT in the past year and have more than gotten my money's worth out of it. If I discover that hubby used the last of the bread, no problem--just throw the ingredients in the pan and let it go. No more emergency trips to our local store for a $5 loaf of bread.
This summer I got hubby to hang up a clothesline for me. The last electric bill was $20 less than the month before, and the line was only up for 2 weeks of that billing period.
We invested in some ceiling fans for the bedrooms. Even with the 100 degree weather, we have managed to stay comfortable without breaking out the a/c.
I purchased a Nook for myself at my last birthday in March. On the surface, this might not have seemed like much of a frugal move, but I'm a voracious reader and choosing the Nook over Kindle allowed me to check e-books out of the library (even at midnight if I want). Our tiny town library doesn't have much of a selection, but I got a library card from the next town over and get to reap the benefits, without late fees or lost books. I also joined Paperback Swap and I've been able to trade my old craft and business books for books for my son and me.
I know these all seem like a lot of little things, but they all add up. I'm thankful I started this journey last summer. Fall and winter were a lot more comfortable for us, moneywise, and a lot less stressful. I think it has also fortified me for the days ahead. My husband was laid off from his job at the end of June, and other than a couple of private meltdowns I'm not nearly as stressed as I would have been two years ago.
It will be tight, but it can be done.
