Did you save BIG in April? I’m constantly trying to optimize our spending to find ways to save money, but still live quite comfortably and well.
In April, we saved quite a bit of money by comparison shopping, and choosing thrift first. The big hitters this month saved us about $500. That’s money that stayed in our accounts.
We Shopped for New Home Owners/Auto Insurance
I had not shopped around for home owners and auto insurance quotes in YEARS. Shame on ME! I saved us $200/year by switching to another company. This is definitely one area you don’t want to be brand loyal, so ask your friends for recommendations and start calling around to get quotes. Most companies will offer free quotes for a chance to earn your business.
Total savings: $200/year
Out with the old and in with the New-To-Us!
Our 17 year old Kenmore washing machine stopped spinning the end of March. After searching the problem online, my husband found a few You Tube videos and made a valiant attempt to fix the machine himself. The machine worked for a week before a new problem arose. Upon more online research, my husband felt the new repair would be beyond his ability, so we started looking on Craigslist. We found a guy who buys appliances from bank foreclosures and resells them. He had a new Samsung top loader washing machine that retails for around $500, but his price was $200.
Machines have improved tremendously in 17 years. I’m giddy by the amount of wash I can do now in one load versus my old machine. I’m doing less wash now, and the laundry comes out of the washer much dryer than before, so time in the dryer is less. i can’t wait to see if there is a noticeable difference in our water and electric bills. Fortunately, my 17 year old dryer still works like a charm.
Total Savings: $300
April’s Thrift Store Finds
Our youngest daughter came to us with a youth soccer league flyer and asked if she could try it. My husband and I want our daughters to be active and physically fit, but we want them to figure out their passions. The league is through a church and it is very low key. The emphasis is on fun, participation, and learning the game. It is semi-competitive and that’s fine with her. We’re just happy she wants to try something new.
I have no problem buying equipment for our kids’ activities, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that my daughter is just trying out. The uniform was included with the registration fee, but she also needed soccer cleats and shin guards.
My first stop was Facebook. I know many friends who have daughters who play soccer, so I thought it was worth a shot to ask my friends if they had any unused soccer gear. Everyone was more than willing to go search their homes, but my daughter’s size was unavailable.
My next stop was my favorite thrift store, Community Aid. They have 50% off the entire store every Wednesday. I didn’t have a lot of confidence, because spring soccer is big around here and I figured other parents were looking as well, but it was worth a look.
Luck was on my side that day! The ONLY pair of soccer cleats on the rack just happened to be my daughter’s size. They looked UNWORN, and after the 50% sale, the price was just $2.50. No luck on the shin guards, but they were only $8 at a store.
Savings: $20
Our April Stupid Tax
Dave Ramsey refers to really dumb expenses and/or purchases as a stupid tax. My husband and I are not immune to such things and it always seems to happen when I let my guard down.
In April, my youngest daughter celebrated a birthday and I have always made cupcakes for her to take to school to celebrate with her class. But this year, I totally forgot about it. No big deal, I thought, I’ll just pick some up at the grocery store on our way to drop her off at school.
I spent $15 on 48 mini cupcakes.
Note to self, next year, DON’T FORGET THE HOMEMADE CUPCAKES!
How did you save money in April? Let us know in the comments!
With taxes due on April, it’s hard to feel like I saved much but so far, for this month, I’m saving money by finding different ways to cool down my house to keep electricity costs down. As the days get hotter, it’ll be more difficult to not use the AC but even if I have to, I try to mostly use it during non-peak hours in order to save money.