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Today I am sharing our top five family money saving tips! As we move into March and the temperatures heat up here in the Valley of the Sun we need to make sure to save some serious change for the summer months! Our AC unit will soon be on non-stop from May through September and our electric bill will undoubtedly DOUBLE. But another reason we are saving up is our annual trip to the happiest place on earth- Disneyland! What better reason to save then making memories with our little ones this summer?!?
TOP FIVE FAMILY MONEY SAVING TIPS
ENTERTAIN AT HOME
Movie Nights: Family movie nights on the couch once a week are a great way to unwind from the week and come together as a family. We either pick one from our collection or use a FREE RedBox Code to get a new release.
Sprinklers: As the temperatures heat up we spend more time around water here in the desert. We use our old hose and attach our sprinkler for fun in the sun(while also watering the lawn). We just make sure to turn off the programmed drip system on days we play in the water. No need to water twice in a day and waste water(and money).
Games: Board games are just starting to be a hit with my little ones. Chutes & Ladders, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Red Light-Green Light, Playing Dress-Up, and our new Secret Hideout. We save a lot of money by buying our games at second-hand stores, along with lots of dress-up clothes. Easy entertainment that lasts through the years. Big savings for our family.
WALMART FAMILY MOBILE
CELL SERVICE: Walmart Family Mobile service is $29.88/month (for the first line) Unlimited Talk, Text & Data service plan which includes up to 500MB of 4G LTE data. We literally will be saving over $1,000 cash this next year with this service. My Alcatel Evolve 2 phone is perfect for all of my social media needs AND I no longer get any dropped calls. I picked it up at my neighborhood Walmart last week!
For the longest time my phone would not call out or receive calls if I was in a certain location in my house. Talk about frustrating. And then of course as a mom I got to worrying about emergencies. What if I needed to call 9-1-1? Could I count on my service being clear? The answer was glaringly obvious. We made the switch AND with just this change our trip to the happiest place on earth is guaranteed.
Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/aafid or your local Walmart for current pricing.
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ENERGY SMART
CFL/LED BULBS: Big Box stores put these on sale at least once a year with a hefty tax rebate. The first update we did when we moved into our house was to replace ALL of our light fixtures with CFL bulbs. Now we are working on replacing the bulbs we use the most with LED bulbs.
CLEAN AIR FILTERS: Don’t let your furnace or AC unit work over time with clogged filters. If the unit has to work extra hard you can bet you are paying for it.
UNPLUG EVERYTHING: Any appliance not in use is unplugged. Every day, all the time. We noticed a DRAMATIC difference in our electric bill when we made this switch. Have you ever felt a charger that was plugged in to the wall-yet not plugged into the appliance? They are HOT. That’s because they are using energy. Energy you pay for that could result in BIG savings. Savings that mount up to that vacation you’ve had your eye on.
WORK IT: Use the weather to your advantage when you can. When it is cold out, but the sun is shining- I open up all of the shades to let the light flood in and warm the house. During the summer and the devastating heat we use reflective film, sun screens, and drapes to keep the heat out.
MEAL PLAN
MAKE A LIST: We plan out our weekly menu ahead of time using the staples we currently have in our pantry. We always try to make just enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Sticking to the list has helped us save tremendously. We spend less than $100 a week to feed our family of four. All meals are eaten at home, save for the rare occasion to a trip to an allergy-friendly spot. Food allergies make it a necessity to eat at home.
BBQ AT HOME: We BBQ year round! Love making burgers with grilled onions and adding a couple ears of corn. There are so many different veggies we grill that spice up the variety of foods we eat. Our propane tank only needs to get filled up once a year and is much cheaper for us than using our electric stove.
DEEP FREEZE: We buy our meat in bulk when it goes on sale. We separate the meat into freezer bag meal portions and save a ton of money for just a little extra work.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
REC CENTER: Our local community rec center has lots of great activities that are either free or at a greatly reduced price. We take swim classes, gym classes, and go to weekly events that include: Bubbles, Trikes, Bounce Houses, and Tunnels. My toddler and preschooler LOVE spending time at the rec center. At just two dollars a visit it hardly breaks the bank!
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS: An hour program that includes a craft, toy, snack, and songs. These classes are FREE and offered nationally at Malls during the week.
PHOENIX ZOO: Our zoo is LARGE and a great place to stretch our legs throughout the week. The price tag is hefty if you only visit once, BUT a family membership pays for itself in under four visits. We go between 60-70 times a year so it REALLY pays for itself.
I’ve shared the top five ways our family saves money. How do you save money throughout the year?
Would love extra tips on how to save up as we head into the summer! Thanks for sharing!
