Save Money on Everyday Life

Before my fiance and I got engaged I used to joke that we would need to get married at a rec center, a bingo hall, or a local park because our budget was just that small. Once the ring was on my finger I realized that there were aspects of the wedding that were very important to me and that would cost money. It was then that we looked over our monthly budget and cut everything we could to pay for our wedding in cash. Here are some of our tips and tricks to save!

• Cut your man's hair. We bought a $40 trimmer from Target (the Wahl chrome deluxe multi trimmer works like a dream). My fiance loves it, it saves him a bi-weekly trip to the barber and saves us $40 a month! Total average savings=$440 a year!
• Cancel your gym membership. I know, brides everywhere just gasped. You can get a bride perfect body for much much cheaper than a monthly gym membership. Pick up a pair of dumbbells, jog, walk, or even search for workout videos online! Total average savings=$360 a year
• Combine your car insurance. When combining our car insurance and adding renters insurance, we saved over $300 a year. Call your insurance agent today!
• Garden. Grow your own produce, herbs, and spices. Freeze veggies and dry herbs to last you far beyond growing season. Average savings varies of course, but we have saved about $20 a month on veggies and spices.
• U-pick berries and freeze them to last you all year. We love blueberries especially for baking. They are way cheaper if you pick them from a local farm.
• Pay off debt. If you have money in a savings acct and a balance on your credit card you are losing more money than you are earning! Pay off that debt!
• Make your own household products! Making my own laundry soap, fabric softener, carpet cleaner, and window cleaner can save a ton! Total average savings=$300 a year.
• Stop wearing makeup. My friends will tell you that they would have never guessed this tip would be coming from me. I love makeup, prior to this I wore a full face every day. To gradually go natural, I first nixed the foundation, then the powder. These were my biggest expenses. Now most days I use moisturizer, eyeliner, a swoop of mascara and a lip gloss. Total average savings= $600 year plus healthier skin!
• Groom your own pooch! Total average savings=$240 year
• Eat home cooked meals every night and menu plan each month.  This has been our biggest savings and has saved us over $200 a month. See the recipes link for great ideas.
• Lots more tips and tricks to come so stay tuned as we continue to save!