I'm a teacher and my husband works for a non-profit, so money tends to be somewhat tight in our house. As a result, we've had to be creative in saving money.
I'm at the point now where most savings books are things that either I'm already doing, or things that I have tried that just don't work for our family. We don't have to pinch every penny, but we do have to be careful, and along the way I've found a few ways to save money that I had originally overlooked.
School supplies - I have a dirty little secret. We never buy all our school supplies new. At the end of each year, I make sure to take the box that their school supplies were in and save what's inside so it doesn't get lost or mixed up with general household art supplies. Then, during back-to-school time, we look there first. My kids don't even care if their markers, crayons, and colored pencils aren't new - they just grab a handful, make sure they have a variety of colors, and stick them in a pencil pouch.
Energy providers - Sometimes you can find savings in places you didn't even think to look - for example, on Georgia natural gas. If your energy market allows for competition and choosing your own provider, you don't have to automatically go with the most popular provider - and sometimes markets with competition are able to offer lower prices overall.
Toys - when your kids are young, you tend . there are so many wonderful toys for them in a variety of ages and stages. Our local ECFE has a toy lending library that can save hundreds of dollars by providing toys that are new to the family for a short time that can then be returned. This allows families to have fresh toys and a variety of playthings at a fraction of the cost.
Book/game swaps - our school hosts a book swap each year, and we've worked out trades with families on video games and novies when our kids get bored. Instead of buying new books or movies, swap them around when your kids are tired of them! By the time they come back, they'll seem like new again.
Are there other creative ways that you save?
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