Hiccups - I wonder -- what is your van worth? you said it's a 97... depending on the make and model, it might not be worth much more than it will cost to fix it. Could you possibly live without that vehicle while you save up a little bit to buy something to replace it?

Oh, and this van repair isn't going to push us over the edge or anything, but we really need some reserves built up again... that's my thinking. So, this isn't just about the van, but that the situation with the van was a wake up call to me about our finances. (I guess that vacation was our last for awhile.)

Okay - some things we do:

*Cancel all magazines except church mags.
*Cancel newspaper subscription - read news online
*Downgrade cable TV to cheapest option, or eliminate if already at lowest tier.
*Reduce or eliminate luxuries like cell phones, eating out, etc.
*Buy small children's clothing at thrift stores or borrow/inherit from family and friends.
*Shop clearance racks at clothing stores.
*Buy clothing at the end of the season, when it's on clearance, for next year's use.
*Handmedown shoes, particularly Sunday shoes -- store in a box in basement and go "shopping" when someone needs new shoes.
*Reduce or eliminate purchase of prepared food items (candy, desserts, frozen pizzas, snack foods, etc) and cook from scratch using inexpensive basic staple ingredients.
*Switch from school lunch to home packed lunch. If qualify, apply for free or reduced school lunch. Also WIC, if qualify.
*Buy food items in bulk when on sale.
*Comparison shop among local grocery stores, planning meals based on loss leaders for the week
*Eat a meal before grocery shopping, leave children home, and shop from a list.
*Eliminate cold cereal and high sugar breakfast items like pop tarts, instant oatmeal, etc.
*Turn off lights, appliances, and computers (esp monitors) when not in active use.
*Reduce lawn watering if your water is metered. Run sprinklers only when air is calm, morning and evening are best.
*Fix any dripping faucets or leaking toilets.
*Turn up the AC and turn down the Furnace -- as high or low as you can stand it. Also clean AC/Furnace or have it serviced to increase efficiency.
*Turn down water heater to lowest setting after morning showers. Turn up 15 minutes before morning showers.
*Wash dishes by hand, let air dry.
*Wash laundry in cold water, hang dry and then toss in dryer for 10 minutes to soften.
*Limit showers to 10 minutes or less.
*Trade babysitting with another couple for dates, temple trips, etc.
*Reduce as much driving as possible - combine errands to one trip per week or less. Carpool for work, school, sports teams, etc. Walk everywhere under 1 mile, especially church, school, and ward errands.
*Take vitamins/eat healthy balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, wash hands often, supervise toothbrushing/flossing religiously to reduce medical/dental expenses AMAP.
*Reduce gift buying, esp for birthdays and Christmas.
*Pay a full tithing and increase fast offering from current level (using some of the money saved by cost cutting).

ETA:

*If you typically get a big tax refund in the spring, amend our W-4 to have less tax withheld from paychecks.
*Anytime you can trade services and goods with neighbors you save not only the cost of the item, but also income tax on the money earned had you paid for it.  Talk to neighbors about sharing/rotating toys, clothing, sports equipment, puzzles, movies/computer games, power tools, baby equipment, etc.
*Go through the house and identify items that could be sold at a yard sale or Craig's list, EBay, etc.  Also shopping yard sales can save a lot of money if you can be patient in acquiring things, and have a list and can resist impulse buying.  Buy used whenever you can.

-- Edited by bokbadok at 17:55, 2007-08-25

Thank you, Bok! That was definitely what I was looking for. We do a fair bunch of those now, but I do see a few where I can improve.

I'm already inspired to give up cold cereal. It used to be a time issue in the morning, but I'm homeschooling now and there's not that same kind of timecrunch.

What do you guys do for hot cereal besides oatmeal? I would prefer to do something with wheat if possible.

-- Edited by hiccups at 23:15, 2007-08-25

You can change up your oatmeal too--add peanut butter or applesauce or something like that.

And, darn, Bok stole most of my suggestions. I just had one other--if you have a service/utility that you can't cancel, you can still call up and ask them if they can reduce the rate. You can just start by saying you can't afford the service at it's current rate, and you may have to cancel...I've never had anyone just let me cancel something without trying to talk me out of it and usually offering to reduce the rate.

In addition to the loss-leader menus, you can also make a killing on coupons these days. Especially when you can print a bunch on your computer. I remember the days when I used to go dumpster diving with my mom Monday morning to get the Sunday coupons people tossed in the recycle bin... And now I can just click 'print.'

Thanks for the thread, I'd actually been thinking of and planning to start a similar thread at our sister city.

* Anyway, one idea is freecycle, definitely it might be helpful- to share as well as see if things are available there.

* Also Craigslist has a "free" area, maybe someone will offer what you want.

* one thing I am learning is to not feel I need to give "presents" to certain people. For instance, w/weddings, bridal showers, etc- I can give something simple that demonstrates love/concern, it doesn't need to be over a certain monetary value. In the past, especially in group showers, I felt I needed to "keep up" w/others. well my new value is to take care of my situation first and not feel compelled to give a certain amount.

* Don't be succored into "good bye group gifts" for every employee.

*the Dollar Store- great things in there for using and giving. They had a Baseball magnetic penant, my nephew will hopefully enjoy that as much as something more expensive.

* practice saying, "I love you but..."= "I don't need to buy you this ---expensive item-- to "demonstrate" or "prove that love". recently this came up w/my young nephew who wanted me to get him $20 baseball cards. I did get the cheaper box ($10), the cost of which still seems outrageous to me. But I tried to explain to him that I do love him- ie I traveled to see them, took time off work, went to the store like he wanted but that I don't need to buy him something to show I love him.

(history is that my parents tend to buy way too much stuff for them, so I think it is a little expected that our side of the family will buy things, etc So I'm trying to clear my name of this)

* Neighborhood or RS swap meets

* see if your workplace has an employee gift cart- ie a "free cart". Maybe suggest they get one. Ours has one, it is just a cart covered w/a cloth. Lots of our employees come from poor areas of the world and our recent immigrants. Lots need basic things. However the cart is for all- I've put clothes there before that were gone soon after placing them.

I recently got a game from that cart to use for my job, I also got some new books someone had put there. I also found a decorative holiday basket that matched another basket I have.

***SERVICE*** = I believe when we help others, Heavenly Father will help us w/our finances. I don't mean this in a bragging way, but a couple weeks ago, I got a fairly large raise. In thinking about it, I feel a large part of it is due to the fact that I have recently done a lot of service- or planned to- for others. I know others might due the same service and not get this same blessing. I don't know why I got it this time. However, I do feel this is due to serving people, and so I am calling this raise my "service raise".
It was a needed boost- financially. But it also tells me that Heavenly Father is aware of me.

* Dovetailing errands helps to save gas. Luckily for me, most of my errands are along the same route- I have a nearly 20 mile commute each way, so I have lots of choices. But by planning ahead, maybe I can save a few gas miles here and there.

About oatmeal, you can make up to a weeks worth in advance.  It then is as fast as "instant'.  Personaly, I like irish oatmeal - or stone ground - instead of the flakes.  But the flakes are what is needed in oatmeal cookies.

I can't bring myself to use regular oatmeal when instant costs 30 cents for breakfast for the two toddlers and less than $1 if the whole family eats it.

We've let people know we like free stuff. For example, the loveseat in our front room is from the old SP across the street who was getting all new furniture. His kids got some and Coco got the loveseat. The conversation sort of went like this...

Coco-You have such a beautiful home.
SP- Sis. SP is getting all new furniture in here next week.
Coco- Wow! Really? This is in such good shape, though.
SP- She's just tired of it... and wants to paint, also.
Coco- Are you going to sell the furniture?
SP- No... our boy will probably take it.
Coco- Oh, that's nice. It is a very nice, neutral print.

Four days later, SP calls and asks if we want a loveseat...

Same thing with our frontroom La-Z-Boy with our other neighbor's that were upgrading their furniture, only they just came and asked MrCoco (DI King) if he wanted anything before they chucked it.

And I don't mean to sound snooty at anyone, but one thing I won't do is skimp on gifts for people, like wedding presents. I just can't go there. MrCoco has an aunt that seriously gave us stuff that she got at a yardsale... I'm like, Just don't give us anything, okay? I understand the concept that dollar figures do not buy love, etc... but come on. This is a new couple starting out and let's get them something decent. 'Course, we are debt-free, so that's how I justify that I suppose.