Change is inevitable. What we do with the opportunity to change will shape our lives, our families, our businesses.
I'm not always very happy about change. I am a creature of habit, and I take comfort in the familiarity of things.
These past few months, our family has dealt with a significant auto challenge (we're in transmission hell with a car that is too young and has been too well-maintained to have such issues), changes in our typical summer schedule and activities, and the cutting back on expenses.
One of the most difficult changes has been in the way we live -- such as our food expenses, auto and other transportation expenses. And while change can be difficult to get started, we are starting to be able to realize some nice savings as a result of the modifications we've made in our household. Here are a few of the ways we are saving money.
Check out alternative forms of transportation for vacations. Do the math and figure out what your cost will be to fly, drive, travel by rail or other methods. Be open to the alternatives. We're taking a trip to Chicago this summer, and after considering the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on the car and daily parking at our destination, we discovered that the least expensive method of transportation is via Amtrak. Savings for this trip: $125
Carpool, and really mean it. We set up carpools for trips to the pool, amusement park and even summer gym class with other parents. It saves time, gas and money. When we go to events with my parents, we take one car, which saves us gasoline and parking space. Savings per month -- $40.
Make your own latte. I love my coffee, and I do still make occasional trips to Caribou as a treat. With very little effort, you can make a great cuppa at home, which saves you time, money and gas. My afternoon jaunt to the coffee shop has been replaced by a homemade latte. Average savings per day - $3.50 ($7 if Eric is working from home) See:
Replace your house light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs. Do it as bulbs burn out, as opposed to spending a small fortune to buy all the energy-saving light bulbs you need at one time. As I mentioned in my "
Save Energy In Your Office" blog post:
According to Energy Star, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.”
Buy a programmable thermostat. These things are pretty inexpensive. I've saved us as much as $50-$60 per month off our typical energy bill by programming the thermostat to 74 in the summer and 68 in the winter during times that I know most of the family is not home. I use a portable fan in my office in the summer if I get warm, and in the winter, the heat of my computer equipment typically is enough.
Eat at home more. While I enjoy eating out at the end of a busy day when I feel too tired to cook, cooking more meals at home has saved us more than $200 per month. Side benefit for all of us -- we're losing weight!
Beginning to change the way your family handles expenses for travel, food and energy can seem like a daunting task. Start with a few of our ideas above, and create a dialogue with your family to strategize on what will work best for you.
Next in the series -- Shaving Dollars Off Your Grocery Budget
." Her recipe, on pages 218-219, takes a few moments to assemble, but is worth the effort.
