You don’t have to go very far to hear people talking about our economy and how times are tough. Gas, groceries, and other essentials have all risen in price over the past year, meanwhile many families have experienced real estate losses and/or rising mortgage payments. The 3 Moms at Happy to be at Home want to help you spend less, save more, and find happiness regardless of your financial situation. This week we are focusing on how the economy has affected our way of living.

Toni

• I have recommitted myself to making foods from scratch and not relying on convenience foods.
• We have all given up soda (This was mainly for health reasons, but it has a financial benefit too).
• We will be replacing our van (it needs extensive repairs) with a small car.
• Redoing our budget to reflect the rising cost of gas and groceries. We are cutting back on some unnecessary areas in order to keep saving money at our current rate.
• My husband is considering biking to work.
• We have realized the importance of living debt free. Because we don’t have any income tied up in debt payments we have extra money that can help offset the rising cost of gas and groceries (the two biggest expenses in our family).

Joy

• We live 15 miles away from the nearest large town (i.e. Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target, etc.) so we’re limiting our trips to town to no more than once a week, and less often if possible. That means making sure we don’t forget an item on our shopping list when we go to town so we don’t end up having to pay a lot more for the item at our local grocery store.
• To save on gas, my husband is not coming home for lunch as often, although he works only 4 miles from home.
• My husband has switched from drinking soda (one 2-liter per day) to tea. This has saved a lot of money, even though we do have to buy generic Splenda to sweeten his tea.
• We’re cutting down on our milk consumption and drinking water with meals except for breakfast. We used to go through a gallon a day of milk, but now it’s down to 3 or 4 gallons a week. This is a boon to our health (especially mine) since we’re not drinking excessive calories from milk.
• I’m learning to make foods from scratch. There were some foods that I would rarely or never buy because of cost, but now that I can make them at home, our food menu is much more varied and we’re spending less (breadsticks, enchilada sauce, gravy and biscuits, cinnamon rolls, etc.)
• We don’t have cable or satellite TV, so we’re still watching television with “rabbit ears” on a 5-year old 37 inch TV that is not a flatscreen and not digital (although we do have a converter box). That simply translates into more family time since there’s not as much available to watch on television. It’s much easier for us to turn off the tv when there’s “nothing on.

Kate

• My husband has made radical changes in his driving habits to combat the gas prices. First, we bought a new car that is small and fuel efficient and does not have air conditioning. (It can get up to 40 mpg.) He also makes sure to keep the tires properly inflated, tries to drive behind a semi whenever possible, and does not drive over 65 mph. Since he typically drives over 80 miles a day, these new habits have really saved us money in gas. He’s gone from spending $15 a day to $5 a day in gas.
• I cook from scratch whenever possible. I also freeze extra meals to reduce the temptation of going out to eat. I am always looking for more frugal alternatives in my cooking, although these alternatives must not take away from the healthiness of our diet.
• We try to stay home as much as possible or find free forms of entertainment that are close to home. The library is a favorite hangout for the whole family, and it is only about 2 miles away. We also borrow movies from there for free as opposed to renting them at Blockbuster.
• I have really been working on becoming a better coupon-shopper, and stocking up on items when they are on sale, especially items that seem to keep rising in price with each passing week.
• We open our windows every morning and only turn the air conditioning on if absolutely necessary. We keep our thermostat set at 78 in the summer and 69 in the winter.
• I make sure I keep my grocery price list updated so that I can accurately figure out our grocery spending to stay within our budget and make alterations where necessary. We also have been buying grocery store gift cards that give you 10% back. This has been a huge money saver.

We would love to hear from you, how has the poor economy affected your life. Have you made drastic changes or are you doing little things? Let us know!

For more Frugal Fridays visit Biblical Womanhood.

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