10 Ways To Save Money

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Ahhh, if only money grew on trees! When a bill came in the mail or if we fell in love with something we could not live without, we could just walk into our back yard and pluck a couple bucks from our money tree. We moved to Mexico in part, to live simpler lives, to live well on less. It was a good plan and it is working for the most part. But sometimes you spend more on an adventure to Belize then you anticipated. Or sometimes your Denali needs tires, shocks, a battery, window repair, body repair, and electrical repair all at once. Then you have to make a few changes to your budget. So for those of you in need of a few extra bucks maybe these suggestions will help.  They have helped us in the past and they are helping us now.
  1. Keep haircuts in the family. I trim Brad’s hair. He trims my hair. I trim Alexis’s hair. Taylor, Sawyer, and Tristan need a professional. But that still cuts our beauty parlor bill in half. A nice set of clippers and scissors will go a long way. Youtube and Google are also great for hair-cutting tutorials.
  2. Get rid of your home phone and stick with cell phones. For faxing you can find free online services that work with your Internet connection. I use Faxzero for small faxes all the time. It works great! As far as our cells go, we pay by the minute. For us it’s cheaper that way. Right now we only have minutes on my cell to cut our bill even more.
  3. Get rid of cable or satellite. We have been without these since we were married, 16 years ago. We found it was unnecessary with Internet and our giant movie collection. Plus there are many other options like Hulu and Netflix. Take your pick.
  4. Combine your errands. I try to group these together to save time and gas. For example, our dry-cleaner and tailor are both located near our Kingdom Hall, where we have our Bible meetings. It is very convenient to drop things off and pick them up on the same day we visit our Kingdom Hall.
  5. Shop at Goodwill. Unfortunately we don’t have Goodwill in Mexico. I miss it so much! I can’t wait to visit Louisville’s Goodwills in September when we are in the States. I always found name brand, high quality, gently used items and clothes at Goodwill. Not to mention yard sales and consignment stores!
  6. Skip the gym membership. Walk, jog, or run in your neighborhood. Brad does this in our fraccionamiento, (Spanish name for subdivision or neighborhood), and he lost over 50 pounds in 9 months. We also started a video workout together that is kicking my tush! P90X3 by Tony Horton. It’s only 30 minutes a day and it’s amazing!
  7. Don’t stay in resorts or hotels. Check out VRBO and Airbnb when you travel. We have used both with good results. Especially when you need rooms for 6 people or more. You can get a whole house cheaper then a hotel room for 4.
  8. Sell that second vehicle and buy a scooter. Our family vehicle is a Yukon Denali. She is a beautiful beast and she is also a gas hog. I love that truck but for a second vehicle we have chosen a scooter. It carries 2 people safely and is great on gas. We don’t drive long distances with the scooter, but it takes us around the city. Brad uses it on a regular basis for our Bible ministry. Be sure to wear a helmet.
  9. Think about using the envelope system to budget your income versus expenses. Brad’s parents introduced this to us years ago. It worked great for them and now it is working great for us. Dave Ramsey’s Envelope System will get you started down the right path. Don’t make it complicated and be prepared to make adjustments as needed. It works.
  10. Move to Mexico. Haha! You like this one, don’t you? I wish everyone had this option but I know many don’t. Providing for your family, while living abroad, isn’t always possible. But perhaps if you work-at-home, work online, or are retired, this is something you can consider. Google “cost-of-living” in various countries, and you will find that you can live well in many places on less money. Mexico is only one of many.

There you have it. 10 ways to save money. Tried and tested by my family. I have 4 more money saving tips in my bag. Maybe once I collect another 6, I will make a second list. Till then remember, “It is always a good idea to think thrifty and live frugally.”  Signing off, Tina

15 thoughts on “10 Ways To Save Money

  1. Lizzie Lau says:

    Great tips!
    I lived in Mexico for 6 years, Honduras for 4, and Guatemala for 2. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts.
    I think I linked one of my Mexico stories below.
    Have a great weekend!
    My recent post Diaster Magnet – You Won't Believe What We Found At Our Campsite

  2. Adventures in HS says:

    Moving is something we are considering – it just makes sense:)Thanks for sharing on this weeks #homeedlinkup

  3. Create Bake Make says:

    Great tips, I cut my toddlers hair as I just can't justify the $15 – $20 hairdressers charge to do it. We are also about to disconnect our home phone and cable, with our mobile phones and two little boys keeping us busy, there just isn't time to watch tv! Thank you for linking up with The Multitasking Mummy for Mummy Mondays xx
    #Team MM

  4. Mrs.AOK says:

    Great tips!
    I haven't had a home phone in years, it has it's perks but it also has it's downfalls. We recently moved to SC and the reception here is horrible, with the kids in school, it makes me uneasy the thought of missing their call. I may, have to get a home phone after all.
    I haven't been to Mexico in years! I'd love to have a family trip there.
    Thanks for linking up to Mommy Monday!
    XOXO

  5. Eva says:

    This is a great post Tina, pretty much all the things you list are what we do in our home. A year ago we made a huge downsize to live in a home where I could be a stay at home mum. It's always tight, especially when big unexpected expenses come along, but I'm a true believer that it works when you make the choices that you've outlined. Thanks for linking up to Mummy Mondays.
    My recent post The Pros and Cons of Multitasking in Parenting

  6. The Vanilla Housewife says:

    Great tips! I like the one about moving to Mexico since I have always wanted to see the place but that would be more expensive for us since it is cheaper to live in our country I think. ;)
    Thanks for linking this up at Whatever Wednesday!

  7. Theresa F says:

    Great tips. Moving to Mexico is out though. It is one of the most dangerous countries on the planet. Went there for my honeymoon in 1997 before the drug cartels took over. It is certainly a beautiful country, scenery wise.

  8. ReDonna says:

    Thanks for the money tips. We already do all of these except the cable…yes we still have it. Don’t know why, there is never anything decent to watch. Anyway, Manuel doesn’t want to come to Mexico because he says it is very dangerous there…because of the drugs. Is all of Mexico like this?
    I love reading your blog. Thanks for taking time to do this. Hope to visit soon!
    Agape, getting old and retired

    • Tina says:

      No. I am going to do a post on this one of these days. Many people have the wrong idea about Mexico. Just like in the US you have to stay away from trouble and be cautious. There are certain areas you just do not go. But there are places in Louisville that you have to avoid as well. No place is perfect, the US or Mexico :-)

  9. Angie says:

    I sure love reading your blog and hearing about the adventures you’re having with your family. We do similar things to budget, like me cutting my hubby and son’s hair for 25 year nows! No cable and we don’t miss it at all. We garage sale and thrift store shop and enjoy the hunt. ;) Does Mexico not have garage sales or thrift stores? Maybe you can get them going there! lol I agree about the safety. I know there are problems all over and think the media has inflated a lot of them, plus we have very violent crimes in the US, as well. I enjoyed your blog post about that topic. Take care keep posting. :)

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