So what are some ways to save for Christmas?
#1: If you still have cable, cancel it! Nathan and I have been using Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ for years now. There is almost nothing that we can’t watch between all the different online platforms. The average family is spending over $100/month on cable!
#2: Buy Generic at the grocery store or shop for deals. Store brands are only more affordable, they can often taste better! Also, don’t buy everything at one store. I buy our dinner groceries at Albertsons and our snacks at Target. That alone is saving me over $100/month! I struggled with this for a while because I didn’t want to go to 2 stores every week, I now order everything online, which takes me about 30 minutes, and then I just drive by and pick it up or have it delivered. This also helps me stick to my budget!
#3: Pack your own lunch. Not only is eating out a budget buster, it can be a great way to save money. Even if you are buying extra food to make those lunches or leftovers, it is still a savings. I know when we eat out it can be over $10 each meal, so by cutting that out 3 times a week even, you’re saving $30/week or $120/week. Plus you may help you lose weight too, as home cooked meals are often healthier than fast food.
Last one for today #4: Make your own coffee. I am a coffee drinker, so I understand the pain that can be involved in this one. I had a keurig for many years and I bought a refillable pod, so that I could put my own coffee grounds in the keurig instead of their expensive pods. However, when it broke, I decided to buy a hot water maker and pour over coffee maker. It cost me a total of $25 for both items. Plus at the local stores I can buy and grind my own coffee...it costs me $8 in grounds to last me a month! Without spending $4-6 on coffee each day, that’s a monthly savings of $120-180/month!