Saving Money in Tough Economic Times

I'll admit it--I used to be quite the spender! When I was working full time, I wasn't always great about saving or looking for the best prices on things. I didn't take the time to shop around, nor did I care as I should have about where I could get the items I needed at half the price. Bargains weren't a focus for me and I completely regret that now. Being home with my baby and starting my own business has certainly changed my family's economic makeup and I have learned very quickly the value of a dollar. I wish that I would have learned and adhered to these lessons years ago, but all I can do now is focus on the lessons and stick to them. It's not that hard to be price conscious and save some money here and there. With a very tough economic climate and the need more and more to stick to a budget, families are quickly learning what it takes to save some money. There's certain things you simply can't skimp on when it comes to the needs of your household, so how do you save a few dollars in this economy? Here are a few lessons that I've learned that will hopefully help others:

*Shop around so you know price comparisons on items you buy all the time. I was guilty of going to the grocery store for all food needs and a lot of toiletries but I quickly learned that other stores carry certain items cheaper. When it comes to staples such as paper towel, toilet paper, and even plastic wrap I am a huge fan of Target. I've done the price comparisons and know that I can save a huge chunk of money by breaking up my shopping and getting certain staples at specific stores. Sure it means a few more trips to the store, but it's so worth it in the end!

*Make a budget and stick to it, or at the very least track your spending over a period of time. I was shocked when my husband and I looked at our spending on a monthly basis. We enlisted the help of a program that allowed us to see where we were spending our money. I will admit that I would walk into a "super savings store" and go crazy with frivelous items. I have since learned to stick to my list so that I'm not in shock when the cashier rings me up. This was hard for me as I'm a wanderer in stores, but it pays off if you can go for what you need and not always fill the cart with items you saw and just had to have at that moment. When you set up a family budget be realistic with the numbers you put down in each category and try to stick to them and always keep them at the forefront of your mind.

*Look for the super sales! If you know that you are in need of clothes, blankets, or household items go price them out at stores you shop at. I can tell you that one of my favorite stores, Kohl's, seems to run some sort of sale every week. What I would have paid top price for could be on sale a few days or a couple of weeks later. If you can wait for the item for a short period of time, keep an eye on the stores you shop at for coupons or sales and you will save a bundle.

*Use coupons or look for store sales. This is especially true at the grocery store, it pays off more than you can imagine. I am not as great about clipping coupons as I should be, but I keep some on hand (especially for items like baby food) and that coupled with the specials that the store runs have saved me a ton of money. It pays to get a card for the store you frequent and also to shop at membership clubs whenever possible. These super savers along with any coupons that you have will add up tremendously when it comes to your savings.

*Be cognizant of areas that you tend to spend on a monthly basis and come up with solutions to save you money. I was guilty of cranking up the heat in our house far beyond what was necessary. I was also not great about always turning off the lights when I left a room. These may sound like simple things but being aware of these elements has added up to great savings on our utility bills. The savings add up over a few months and you soon realize that you were using things far more than you needed to.

*Cook whenever possible rather than going out to eat. We are a family that loves to have dinner out, but we've just limited this more than we used to. I've found that preparing meals and freezing them makes cooking much easier and less time consuming on a daily basis. It has saved us a lot of money and saved me a lot of time so that I'm not preparing and cooking every single night. We still go out to eat weekly but it's much less than we used to. This has saved us bundles on our monthly budget, just by making this a less frequent activity.

Saving money doesn't have to mean that you can't enjoy life. If you are aware and take a few simple steps you can save your household a ton of money in the long run.