I love to gather with friends and family over the holiday season. Our family is so large, it’s a party every time!
Having raised six kids, I know it’s easy to spend a lot of money. I want to share some things I’ve done for years that have helped me control expenses so I don’t break the bank.
- Buy in bulk If you’re feeding more than four of you, groceries purchased in bulk will save you money. Costco and Sam’s have made my life so much easier – and I’ve generally saved by the pound. That’s not always the case, but more often than not, it is.
- Make wise choices with your leftovers. Deal with them right away. If you’re going to make soups, stews, or sandwiches, separate what you’ll be using and mark it for what you intend it for, and freeze it immediately. That way you won’t have to waste food that you’re sick of, but you’ll have some fun reserves for colder days when you don’t want to leave the house!
- Instead of purchasing fun toys and items per child, purchase similar items per age group. It really works out well to do that because the children associate like that anyway, and they can play together without grumbling. Look for items that might be discounted if you purchase more than a couple. I assign a price range per age range, and then I can anticipate my bill. Saves time, money, and hassle, making holiday giving more enjoyable.
- Schedule your drain clean outs BEFORE the holidays, and if you forget – immediately after! Drains get all sorts of unwanted attention – from kids dropping toys in toilets to super high volumes of waste in the disposer. It’s MUCH cheaper to be proactive and avoid a catastrophe than it is to pay for damage resulting from severe back ups, water removal, or restoration services. Once you have a problem, you don’t want to wait for an availability.
- Replace faucets, shower heads and toilets with appliances that use less water. Plano water bills are going up by 10% starting November 1st, and high water use associated with entertaining and clean up may cause this particular bill to be staggering. Get in on the City of Plano utility rebates for low-flush toilets to get ahead of the bill.
I hope these tips help you stretch your dollar. Do you have any you’d like to share with our readers? Please leave them in the comments below.
[…] Drip, drip, drip goes the faucet … and money just continually moves from your back pocket right into the coffers at the utility department. It’s no secret that simple plumbing repairs like stopping those drips saves you money, but often people have no idea how much. The truth is, those annoying drips account for HUNDREDS of dollars a year in the home and HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of wasted gallons a year. The average homeowner could purchase a used car for their teenager for what may be wasted each year in the home. (Ask me how I know!) […]