im a diy kinda girl, looking for frugal living ideas, i have 2 kids ages 6 months and 4 years. i need tips!!!!

Question

okay so my husband lost his job, we are living with his mom, trying to stretch the money we have until he can find work. im sick of our money going down the drain. trying to find ways to cut back on expenses. cleaning ideas, food ideas, anything will be appreciated

Answer 1

As a mom of 7 I understand what your going thru. The best cleaning supplies are Vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. You can wash almost anything with those 3 things.

When I cook I make large "casserole" type meals. Lasagna or enchiladas will feed my family of 9. Hamburger can stretch a long way!

To cut back I buy a good chunk of the kids clothes at Goodwill. They all get new clothes, but there is nothing wrong with buying slightly used clothes. I actually have found clothes with the tags still on at Goodwill.

Pay attention to sales and compare prices.

Answer 2

With the children being so little, buying clothing second-hand makes good sense, as they are changing sizes so quickly. Not a bad idea for the two adults as well. Try Charity Shops/ Opportunity/Thrift Stores, Yard and Garage Sales.
Home made baby food is cheaper than canned/bottled and you know what went into it.
Boiling is a cheaper method of sterilizing baby's bottles, etc.
Cloth nappies are cheaper than disposable. Not too hard if you have access to washer/dryer.
Try No Brand/No Frills/Shop Brand Products. Some are as good as the name brands, but cheaper. Buy one, try it, if it comes up to scratch, use it.
If you can, buy in bulk (with Mum) for the extra savings.
If you are sharing the bills, cut down on wastage. Turn off lights, heat only the rooms your using, open curtains during the day, unless hot out, then keep closed.
Don't do Take-out food. Usually cheaper to cook at home.
Toy Library's may operate in your area. They let you give the kids a variety of toys, which you swap back every so often. The kids get a good range of toys to play with, at little expense to you. And they don't get bored, as you can change them as often as you like.
Librarys are great. Many offer free Internet - for looking up job opportunities, and for researching frugal living sites. Library's have often story time for the littlies, free or cheap entertainment. Not to mention the access to all those books on How To.
Playgroup is another way to keep them entertained inexpensively, and can help you build up contacts in your local area.
Check out community boards. Some people offer short term work there, and things for sale cheaply, or free to take.
Also see if there is a Freecycle.group operating in your area. They are people on the Net, offering goods for free. The group was formed to keep good stuff, no longer needed, from going to landfill. Here I've seen electrical appliances, furniture, clothes, books and just about anything else. All you have to do is e-mail, and if you get it, just pick it up - Free!

And that's just a few things off the top of my head. Hope things improve for your family soon.

Answer 3

It's tough when money's tight, but I applaud you for trying to make do rather than complaining about how unfair it all is. That's really cool.

As far as cleaning... white vinegar is great for cleaning most things and it's cheap. Use rags that you can wash and line dry your clothes if possible.

With food... Frozen veggies are one of my favorites. They're inexpensive and I use what I need without wasting anything. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, try shopping there. By shopping there instead of the local Shaw's, I cut my bill by about a third. The quality is excellent and it's a better store.

One of the best things to do is draw up a budget and try to stick with it. I have mine in Excel - simple and useful. What can I say, I'm an accountant! Seriously, though, if you want I'd be glad to help you with the budgeting. Email me if you want my budget template.

Answer 4

well with the cleaning you could buy a spray bottle and a gallon of bleach and mix about a cap full of bleach and fill the bottle up with water and this will clean very well and kill germs also that is one way, of course you will still need glass cleaner and so on but you can still use the bleach from kitchen to bathroom,try coupons i think you can double up coupons at a fred's store, the purex laundry is really good and also cheap i like the concentrated it lasts longer and like 3 dollars for like 36 loads i love to use purex especially when i can get the renuitiz or how ever you spell it, you could probably get wic from the health department you get free food every month until the kids are 5 years of age this can help i get it, you could sign up for food stamps nothing wrong with it just until your husband can get a job and then stop getting them i mean just don't renew your application when he gets a job they now have an eft card every month they put a certain amount of money on the card and you can use it on what ever well mainly food stuff i would and use it when ever, the clothes you can go to yard sales, and mainly just shop and bent and dent stores there is nothing wrong with that just look at dates on them, try some of these ideas.

Answer 5

Try buying store brands rather than name brands. There are many occasions where the item is just as good and sometimes even better.
Also, check to see if there are any kids stores that sell gently used toys and clothes. Often you can take what they've outgrown, and get 'new' things for a real bargain.
Also, there are many ways to stretch your food dollars. Try making homemade soups... pasta...
Also, use less cleaning products... vinegar, baking soda, hot soapy water, and one basic cleaner goes a long way.

Answer 6

Well, spend your limited money on food for the kids. I think Pampers cost a lot of cash. Try LUVs or some store brands that are cheaper. If you can find them, try cloth diapers and wash them (rinse them really well) to save. Buy clothing for the kids at Good Will or Salvation Army or any consignment store (your clothes, too). Many things in these shops are lightly used and very cheap. I mean especially kids' clothes. They outgrow them before they wear them out. Make your own popsickles using Kool Aid. Fill ice cube trays with the drink and freeze.

Answer 7

To save on food check out Angel Food. It is a program where you pay $25 a few weeks before you get $50 - 75 bucks worth of food. There are no income restrictions and all types and incomes of people do it. My husband and I get the food sometimes to restock our freezer.
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/

Cleaning ideas - I have heard that vinegar and water clean as good as anything. At least that is what my grandmother does.
Good luck and good for you for being proactive!

Answer 8

One of the best (and least expensive) meals in the world is a pot of beans (black-eyed peas and Great Northerns are faves in my house) and bacon cooked in a crock-pot for a few hours. Bake ya some cornbread and you got lip-smackin' yum!