money saving tips

We're newlyweds. So we haven't been doing this for twenty years or anything... but we are both cheap. Here's what we've done in these first seven months to save a little cash.

1. I cut Matthew's hair.
So every six weeks we save $15. That's $120 bucks a year. Fabulous. I used to just trim it, but then we got clippers for Christmas so now I can even clean up those adorable blonde hairs on the back of his neck.

2. I cut my own hair.
Every once and awhile I need layers or something, but since our marriage I've been in charge of how short {or long} my hair and bangs get. I'm not sure how much that saves us...

3. We only get free furniture.
Maybe we will buy some once we have kids {or when we are filthy rich}, but for now we're into craigslist, and hand-me-downs. We did buy our China Cabinet, but that is the only exception. Couch, chairs, bed, dressers, bookshelves, tables... Free. That's how we roll.

4. We spend $50 every two weeks on food.
I don't coupon {but I'm open to it in the future}. We eat alot of fish and alot of chicken which we buy frozen in bulk and then I fix it different ways {pasta, breaded, grilled, baked, sandwiches, basil, lemon, parsley, bar-b-q... etc.}. We eat canned veggies alot {.55 at Aldis}. Sometimes we need paper towels or something and we go a little over. It's ok.

5. We eat at home.
No Starbucks, no Mcdonalds, and no Olive Garden. We have gone out... seven times? As a couple to eat. That's less than once a month. {this doesn't include when people come into town and we go out with them}

6. We get movies at the library.
It's a good excuse to watch all the movies I loved as a child and haven't seen in ten years, plus it's free. Oh, and it's a three miles walk {with plenty of hills} so it's even better when we don't drive.

7. We buy clothes at thrift stores.
Not like we go clothes shopping often. I promise I have enough clothes to last until pregnancy, but for those rare moments when you "need" one more shirt... thrift store.

geometric thrift store shirt i "needed" in October.

8. I sell my clothes on consignment.
We still donate all of our stuff to thrift stores, but the brand name clothes I sell on consignment. I found this fabulous little boutique and I've made over $70 on clothes I didn't fit/want/need.

9. We shower together.
I don't even know if that saves water {we don't pay the water bill, it came with the apartment}, but it seemed worthy of a mention.

10. We freeze as much as possible.
By this I mean ourselves. Bodily. As in, we've run the heat less than a full week so far. I like being cold {because I like to snuggle in a warm blanket with a warm husband}. In the summer our energy bills are way higher, but no one likes unnecessary sweating.

11. We split the internet bill with our neighbor.
Our apartments our side by side, and it just makes sense. Hopefully the next neighbor wants to share when we get a new one in February.

12. We paid for our cars with cash.
If you can't afford a car, don't buy it. We're supposed to be wise with the money God has given us, and debt=not wise. We have a 1996 BMW 3.18i and a 2002 Honda Civic and no payments.

13. We don't have a credit card.
I don't think this one needs an explanation, but a credit card is money you don't have.... why would I want to spend money I don't have, only to accumulate fees for spending said money, so in the end I have to pay more money, even though I already didn't have the money to begin with. Yeah, no.

14. No cable.
I've mentioned it before, but my husband and I don't even have a t.v. We have a projector so we can watch movies {and a clearplay to clean them up}, but no tv. No tv= No cable. Money in the bank.




I love that I married someone who likes to go Thrift Store shopping and will let me cut his hair. Oh yeah, that's because I was created for him.

Obviously we'll have different tips once we reach different stages of life {like using a clothes line, or cloth diapers}, but we'd love to hear the money saving tips that you find the most useful.