Moving forward, I will be more conscious of how I can be saving money each month.
Last month, I participated in a financial challenge that taught me quite a saving money tips.
After reading through Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s book, Money Rules and making a few changes in the way I view money, I am happy to say that this past month has been a real eye-opener for me when it comes to our finances.
The kids were even involved in learning some money lessons by introducing them to the app call Learning Money with Leo.
The biggest challenge for me was spending just cash!
We typically use a credit card for all spending because it is easier to use than cash and we also receive cash back at the end of the year as a bonus. I am not sure I will move forward using only cash, but I will say that my mind-set on spending is much more focussed.
Keep your finances organized.
The best thing this challenge did for me was to open up my eyes in my spending habits and it also made me realize that I need to take a more active role in the organization of our family’s finances. My hubby is VERY good with organization and he has always kept detailed spreadsheets for our finances. I have taken for granted his amazing system and I realize now how important it is that I make time to properly learn “the system” and to be more involved.
Donate or sell unused items regularly.
This month’s financial focus also gave me the motivation to clean out the closets and donate (and sell) the clothing and toys that we were no longer using. It is always good to set aside a bit time each month to do this. We receive phone calls on a monthly basis from various charities asking if they can pick up a bag of donated goods, moving forward, this will be my cue that I must go through the house! The added bonus is this will also help to decrease the amount of clutter we have in our house, something that drives my hubby batty and it eats away at me as well.
Use the food that you have.
My fridge and freezer are also a bit emptier because I tried to use up what we had instead of shopping aimlessly each week. The kids and I have started to make Meal Plans together, which not only teaches them organization skills, but it also has helped to cut down on our grocery bills.
Who manages the finances in your family?
What are your MONEY SAVING TIPS?
Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Thank you for your tips on saving money. I am especially lax on using what I have on hand and I will be striving to remedy this.
I would love to read this book! It sounds really helpful.