We’re all looking for ways to cut the budget and save more money right?  I’m going to share with you a few changes I’m going to make this month to see how they help me and then share with you my biggest money saving secrets.

I’ve been using the binder/card holder system for a couple years now to keep my coupons organized but in the past 6 months or so I always seem to find myself swimming in clipped coupons not filed or coupons not yet clipped.  Don’t get me wrong this is a great way to organize coupons if you have the drive to keep it up weekly.  I have 2 binders one food and 1 for everything else all set up alphabetical by brand name.  I just haven’t had the energy to deal with this every week, so I’m going to get a small plastic filing system started and starting this Sunday we’ll try a new way.  I’m going to sit down and type up the list of coupons every week and put that and all the coupons into a file each week.  I want to be able to take the file with me so it’ll have to be portable.  I’ll post more about it as I get it all set up.

The other thing we are going to try starting tonight or tomorrow once I get to the ATM is to start the envelope system.  Each week I’ll put the allotted amount into envelopes.  I’m thinking $40 for groceries, $20 for CVS, Wags, incidentals, $20 gas and the rest to savings.  We’ll see how that works with a once the envelope is empty it’s empty and at the end of the month hopefully there will be some money left in an envelope and that will be added to savings as well.

And drumroll  please!!!!  Here’s my biggest secret to saving money is to STAY HOME!!!!  Yesterday I got the new Wii Sports Resort game courtesy of Swagbucks (use the search engine to earn bucks and turn then into Amazon giftcards) so we have new entertainment for the next few weeks.  Even without the new game I’m sure you have cards, games, books, magazines, toys,etc at home that you spent $$$ on.  Use them!!!! the more time you spend out of the house the more gas you spend, the higher chance that you’ll buy convenient foods or drinks, the more money you’ll spend just by going to the stores.  We have 2 pools in the apartment complex and another pool and playground opening very soon so we have that advantage, but if you don’t find out if there is a cheap/free place you could go to like a park, playground, or pool and pack a cooler with snacks and drinks.  If you want to save money the easiest way to do it is stay home or be more like me and procrastinate until it’s too late to shop. LOL

Do you have any secrets or tips to save money?  Please feel free to share with us.  We can all work together and help everyone save more.