Mom of a Million Mistakes: Easy Changes to Save Cash

Ah, the end of summer. The time of year when we look at our credit card statements and really feel the heat from all that fun in the sun, as well as have to pony up for back to school items for our kids.

Back to School time feels like the beginning of the year in our house, and so it's a great time to make make "new year's" resolutions. It's the time of year when I personally decide to clean up my spending act and make subtle changes that effect our family cash flow.

Now, I am no Suze or personal finance manager. Please don't call me about fixing your credit score or for advice on a hedge fund. I deal in the shallow end of the baby pool with easy-peasy ways to spend less household cash. I personally am making small changes in our spending, cutting luxuries and ramping up the bargain shopping.

Here are small changes I'm re-committing to making this fall that make a big difference in our monthly budget.

• Old: Professional mani/pedi that lasts 3 weeks. New: Self-applying drugstore nail products that last 4 months.

• Old: Maid service twice a month. New: Cleaning the @#$&ing house myself.

• Old: Drive-through car wash. New: Liquid soap, garden hose and pulling out the shop vac to suck up the Goldfish crumbs.

• Old: Gym membership, rarely used. New: Power walking, exercise DVDs, occasional drop-in yoga class fees & downloading new music.

• Old: "Winging it" when it comes to tracking our household spending. New: tracking every purchase using the Yahoo! Personal Finance Budgeting Tool.

• Old: Hitting the big "sales" at the children stores at the mall for spring clothes. New: Hitting the local kid consignment sale circuit.

• Old: Purchasing lots of boneless skinless chicken breasts for quick healthy high-protein meals. New: learning to make more vegetarian and bean-based Indian dishes.

• Old: College-age babysitter for a Saturday night out. New: Swapping with another family in the neighborhood.

• Old: Paying outrageous wine list price for cheap bottle on date night. New: Looking up a BYOB restaurant on ReserveYourNightOut.com.

• Old: Purchasing store-bought cards for birthdays & celebrations per month. New: Making our own using the computer or kids’ crafts.

• Old: Not renewing glossy magazine subscriptions. New: Reading online versions, purchasing only for airplanes. 

• Old: Fancy salon shampoo & conditioner to protect hair color. New: Sulfate-free products from grocery store.

• Old: Ordering delivery pizza when super tired + tip for driver. New: Telling everyone to make themselves a dang quesadilla.

I hope these tips were helpful. I know they're not huge revelations, but just remember: Every dollar saved this fall and winter gets you one dollar closer to your vacation NEXT summer!

Jessica McFadden is a cheapskate mom of three who blogs at A Parent in Silver Spring.