Finances...

I haven't always been a SAHM, although I have always been a SHE! My most recent stint of working outside the home came to an end right before Christmas 2008. It really sent us for a loop! DH and I counted on my paycheck to make ends meet each month. One of us worked for the house, the other worked for all the other bills and groceries.

I jumped right in to hunting for another job. Needless to say, with the economy the way it is right now, there aren't many to be had. I have applied EVERYWHERE! Even the fast food places aren't hiring right now! So we have tightened our belts, cut where we could, and with the help of a great MIL, we have been managing for the most part.

I have been working on getting the house in order. DH has been bringing home his check every two weeks. His mom has been helping with groceries. I've found that I tend to spend a LOT less money on groceries when it's not my money. And I have found ways to save at the grocery store. I've never been much of one to use coupons. I'll clip them in good faith, and then they get left at home, or I decide that I really don't need the item that the coupon is for. I have come to the conclusion that if the coupon isn't for something that I normally would buy, then I don't need it. And since most of the stuff I buy is store brand, it's usually cheaper than the name brand stuff even WITH the coupon. So why waste my time? Anyway, if I find a good deal on something, I will buy a LITTLE extra. Not great huge amounts, but maybe one or two more than what I had planned to buy. I've noticed that my local store tends to put certain things on sale about every 4-6 weeks, and it's the same sale each time. So I know that if I don't catch it on sale this week, it'll be on sale in about a month anyway. So why worry. I've also been cooking more from scratch than I used to. I have the time to do it now. So that saves a good deal of money in the long run, grocery wise. I currently spend about $150/week on groceries, dog food, and toiletries. This is for a family of 5.

We let the satalite go. We don't REALLY need it. We have plenty of DVDs and VHS movies for the family to watch. We have so many, as a matter of fact, that we could start our own movie rental company! LOL So that's one less bill to have to pay. We also let the cell phones go. Yes, they are conviennt, but hey, it wasn't long ago that we all did without them! It's just killing DD15 (Dear Daughter 15yo) that she doesn't have a cell phone! All her friends have them. Well, I'm not paying for her to have a cell phone. It's not a NEED. It is a WANT. No cell phone, no cable...well, that just cut about $350/month out of our budget. We do have a home phone that only costs us $20/year. It hooks into the computer and we have to have internet service for it to work. But like I said...$20/YEAR for unlimited service anywhere in the USA and some international locations. It's called a magicJack, and you can find more information on it at www.magicjack.com. My internet service is through AT&T and is called "stand alone DSL". All that means is that I don't have to pay for a landline every month on top of the internet. It runs me around $35/month. You can check to see if this service is available in your area by going to http://localization.att.com/loc/controller?cdvn=landinglocalization&pid=1080&ltype=res&prod-snip=res_internet_services and putting in your zip code.

My car broke down right before I lost my job. Not even thinking about it, we kept paying the insurance on it for 2 more months, even though it wasn't running. So when it was time to renew the policy in January, I had the car removed. That has saved us about $50/month. Of course, it's going to go right back up, because DD15 is about to take her test for her learner's license...

Propane gets delivered on an "as needed" basis. This way we only pay for what we NEED each month. Once winter is over, we won't need as much, and won't have to order it as often. The power is another story. We try to make sure that lights are turned off when we aren't in a room. We keep the thermostat set at 70 year-round. We open doors and windows in nice weather (like today!). But there is only so many ways to cut power usage. Speaking of power and propane usage...I think I'm going to try to convince DH to put up a clothesline for me...it may be more work for me, but it will save a little bit more on the power/propane bills!

Another thing I need to do to work on the energy side of things is to replace the seal on my refrigerator. It's not working very well, and it's time to get it fixed. That will save us a bit, as will fixing the seals around the doors. There are some pretty big gaps there, and I need to go get the materials to fix them. It won't cost much, and it won't take long to do. I just need to get off my Franny and DO IT!

Right now I need to get off my Franny and work some more in the house. My "business" won't run itself, you know!