They call me a cheapskate.

I was recently asked to lead a round table discussion on how to save money in your home. There is a good chance that if you follow couponing blogs then you will likely know all of this but as I told the ladies at the round table, if you learn just 1 way to save $100 a year, that's a $100 you didn't have before. ($100 pays for a night away at a nice hotel which sounds soooo nice right now!)

These are my notes, they are as scattered as my brain. So let me break it down for you

Budget Cutting Ideas

·       Cable Hacks- People spend a crazy amount of money on cable yearly. I would wager that almost everyone would get a little nauseous if they looked at their yearly total. There are so many other options.

1.  Roku-A device that streams apps such as Netflix, Hulu, SlingTv, Amazon Prime as well as many free apps that stream entertainment directly to your TV. We don't have a Roku because when we replaced our DVD player a couple years ago we got the Smart option so it streams for us.

2.  Netflix-Netflix is probably the most well known streaming service and it has a lot of great programming for around $10 a month.

3.  Amazon Prime-For $99 a year, Prime offers free television shows and movies but also gives you free shipping, free music streaming(commercial free), free books on Kindle and more!

4.  SlingTV-I personally have no experience with this streaming option but I do know that it offers sports while the others do not.

5.  ProjectFreeTV and ShareTv.org are both websites that allow you to watch TV for free. As far as I know, there are no apps to stream to your TV but if you don't mind watching on a computer, they are great!

·     Internet-It is a little known fact that you are allowed to ask for a lower price from your cable and internet companies. Especially if you have recently had a hike or are searching for a new company, ask firmly and kindly. It may be small, like a $10 one time discount or they may knock $5 off each month. Either way, it is worth a phone call. Phone call, not email. Trust me.

1.  Ask for discounts

2.  Change providers

3.  Cell companies-There is the option to get your internet through a cell phone company. We personally use Viaero and our internet service costs less than 1/3 of what the only other option in our area is.

·       Cell phone and Home phone

1.  Ask for discounts

2.  Never assume your current plan is the cheapest

3.  Shop around

4.  Evaluate your need for a home phone(Skype is a great alternative) -I think the rest are pretty self explanatory but this one might be new to you. My best friend has been using Skype as her home phone service for years. If you look at their website, it cost's less than $5 a month. You can stream it through your computer or get a Skype compatible home phone that connects to your internet. Another option is to use an old cell phone with no service plan and use it only on internet for Skype. You can download the app and use it to call out. For us, a home phone has not been a necessity but I do see it's value as my kids get older.                                                                                                   

Grocery shopping tips

I am not going to go into detail on these but grocery shopping is seriously your best avenue for saving. I am not a huge couponer because we eat pretty "real" so it doesn't work much for our diet. But it is worth looking into because its a great way to save on things like toothpaste/shampoo/soap/detergent/diapers. The other great option is apps for your phone. Ibotta is amazing! I use Ibotta all the time and in 4 months saved over $90. It get's transferred to your paypal account or a gift card. Checkout51 is similar but has fewer options. MobiSave is one of my new finds and while I don't find a lot of rebates on there, every one you redeem is sent directly to a PayPal account. While it isn't much, it's nice when shopping online to realize you have a few surprise dollars to spend.

·       Coupon! Coupon! Coupon!

1.  Coupons.com

2.  Ibotta!---Please use this link to sign up! I will give you a cookie! https://ibotta.com/r/lvagirx

3.  Checkout51

4.  MobiSave

·       Shop the Ads and Price match

·       Pricematcherz.com

·       Save on food items.

§  Cheese! Buy block instead of grated

§  Meat! Buy bulk!

§  Shop the “Sell By” sections(foods to look for-yogurt, sour cream, breads, chips, anything that can be frozen) Frozen foods can last up to a year longer than in your refrigerator.

§  Make your own!-hashbrowns, instant oatmeal, cookies, self rising flour, refried beans.

v Garden-This is seriously the best and hardest way to save money on food.

v Grow simple produce that is easy to store- Onions, potatoes, garlic, herbs, green beans, carrots, leeks.

 Honestly, we save the most by working harder. Meal planning, gardening, buying in bulk and making our own. It all takes work but it is all worth it. For instance, homemade refried beans are the best! Never buy them again. It takes a few hours in a crock pot and cost about $1 for 4 meals worth! 

Honestly, I don't love couponing and scrimping, but it allows me to stay home with my babies. And it's really less than an hour of work each week. If you are looking for ways to save around your home, implement these steps. And stay tuned...I've got so much more to share with you!