Nice, But Not Necessary

In an effort to save money to purchase a home, my husband and I went through all of the things we spend money on and tried to eliminate anything we could live without. I personally went through our grocery budget and stopped purchasing specific items because we really didn't need them. It is amazing all the things we think we have to have, and there are good reasons to have them too, but overall, I have found that life is actually simpler without those things.


Budget cuts:

• Cable/Satellite TV
• Smartphone/Data plan
• Internet Service-(We live far from grandparents so we are not eliminating internet, but are cutting back on the service, only keeping the speed so we can Skype family)
• Turn off lights/AC/Heat-when we don't need it-don't use it-it is amazing how much we feel we have to have lights on, when we can see just fine during the day with the window shades up. Also, if someone is not in a room, there is no need to have a light on in that room. 
• Stop using a clothes dryer-this is not an option for me since we already do not have a washer and dryer, however-a clothes line is a huge money saver since a clothes dryer is one of the most expensive appliances to run in a home
• Stop using the dishwasher-I quit using our dishwasher mostly because it doesn't work well, but also it saves a lot of money simply not to have to buy dishwasher soap. Dishwasher soap is 3-4x more money than hand-washing soap-even if you make it yourself. Surprisingly, I have found that I really don't miss it at all.
• Eating out/ordering in-find other methods of entertainment. We have saved bundles by not even ordering pizza. I find having a plan is the key-if I know we will be out during a mealtime, I purpose to have something cooking at home so we are compelled to come home to eat. Also, keeping quick and easy meals on hand like cheese and tortillas for quesadillas is helpful for those days when nothing is coming together. I am not tempted to order food or eat out if I have a quick and easy meal on hand at home.
• Newspaper-I ask neighbors for their old papers coupons
• Magazine subscriptions-we don't get any

Grocery List Eliminations:

• Dishwashing soap-save up to-$10 a month
• Sodas-save more than-$10 a month (we substitute buying a few lemons to add to cold water)
• Meats-I don't buy meat unless there is a sale, then I purchase bulk and freeze-this saved tons of money on both red meat and poultry-I plan meals around what meat I have in the freezer
• Cheese-Buy whole block cheese and shred by hand-it is cheaper and tastes MUCH better than pre-shredded cheese
• Produce-buy in season/buy on sale/buy whole fruits and vegetables-not pre-cut or bags of salad
• Bread-buy on sale-often stores in my area have a buy one get 2 free on a local brand of bread, I purchase as many as will fit in my freezer at that time. (I usually pay .70-.99 for a loaf of wheat)

The key we have found is to simplify and live with less. It takes more elbow grease, but is worth the extra pennies in the bank.