More For Your Money: Money Saving Tips For Families - Part I

by Sheila Helmberger

Maybe you’ve always been good at saving money. You’ve pinched pennies, clipped coupons and waited until the really good sales to make your purchases.

Or maybe you’re new at finding ways to cut costs, a new skill you are honing in response to today's economy. These days everyone is looking for ways to stretch their paychecks and some of our best ideas for saving money can come from one another.

We asked friends, neighbors and members of a local book club what measures they’ve taken to cut their family's expenses.

Almost everyone agreed the first thing you need to do is look at your monthly bills. Examine the things you keep paying for over and over again. Is there any room to cut there? Can you get your family to remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room? Unplug the cords that aren’t really running anything with the power they’re using. You can cut down on water and electricity bills by eliminating half loads in the dishwasher and clothes washer. Run them only when there's enough for a full load.

Is your family ready to make the jump to cell phones only and forgo the one on the kitchen counter that nobody really calls you on anymore? It might take some heavy multiplication and division but now is the time to decide if a monthly fee for a home phone is worth the expense - especially if you’re already paying for multiple cell phones. If you are, make sure you’re on the best plan for everyone’s needs. For the most part teenagers use their phones for texting more than eating up minutes for talk and that can make a difference which plan you’re on. If your current contract is almost up – even better. Shop around for the absolute best deal, including unlimited texting if necessary, before signing another.

As much as we love our televisions now might be time to reassess what we really need from them. It’s not uncommon for a family to spend $100 a month to watch TV. Study the packages your cable or satellite company offers and you may be surprised to find out that a lower tier will still get you all of the channels you watch the most. You’ll only miss the ones you lose for a week or two. Examine your monthly bills. A friend was paying for an extra cable box for several months before she noticed it and they wouldn't refund her the money once they made the adjustment.

Cut out high priced coffees. Three cups of coffee at $3 each in a week adds up to $36 a month. And that adds up to more than $430 a year! Brew your own at home and carry a thermos and the savings will add up quickly. If it helps, remember that cup of coffee is roughly the same price as a gallon of gas.

If you haven’t been there in awhile, revisit the local library. It can serve as the go to place for all kinds of things that you pay big money for. Your free library card can get you movies and CDs, books on tape, and plenty of good reads. If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in check out some resource materials and consider yourself enrolled in a free class on anything from gardening to computers.

Parents can car pool to kids’ sporting events and practices. Each family saves half the cost of transportation.

Plant a vegetable garden this summer. Fresh is best and the price will be just right.

Quit smoking and/or support a spouse or partner that might be up to the challenge.

Tour your area's garage sales. Tis’ the season and it’s the perfect time to nab a deal on a new piece of furniture, clothing or another great find. If you have items of your own to weed out have one yourself. Clean out your closets and in the process make a few extra dollars for a day or two of work.

Perform a check up on your insurance needs. Shop around and get some estimates. Don’t skimp on the coverage you should have but you might be able to get the same amount for a better price.

Shop your local radio stations. Many offer programs that allow listeners to purchase coupons for a small fee that offer deals on dining out and services like car washes or auto detailing, carpet cleaning and other items from area retailers.

Clip coupons. It's a popular Sunday activity again. Pay a little extra and buy one of the metro papers. They offer two or three inserts of coupons for everything from toilet paper and laundry soap to soup and ice cream. Web sites like coupons.com and others offer printable coupons that you can print from your home computer.

It can be a challenge for families to save money these days and it might even mean a lifestyle changes and a few sacrifices. But add a few of your own ideas to the suggestions shared above and the savings should start to add up.

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