Identify 10 new ways for me to save money.

I’m just saying – there are no hand-me-downs, and you have to have some items in duplicate.

If you must have twins, look on craigslist for gently used baby stuff. Most baby equipment gets grown out of, not used up. Mr. Terrierhead and I have found some lovely chairs for the boys on craigslist. The chairs are in perfect condition but were less than half the price of new.

Resist the urge to dress your twins in identical clothing. Yes, it’s cute beyond words, but do you really need to buy doubles of their clothes?

Or, you could break those rules and help support a nice cause (HG awareness)

Making your own baby food is surprisingly easy and saves a ton of cash, especially if you already own a food processor. Those tiny jars of store food add up quick, and the homemade stuff tastes a lot better. Check out this link for helpful hints and recipes.

Most banks will help you set up automatic transfers from checking to savings. Pick a doable amount that you won’t have to worry about or obsess over, and then just let it pile up. It may seem like you can’t possibly spend any less on anything, but when your checking balance looks smaller, you’ll spend less without realizing it.

Better still, I have automatic transfers that go into a CD account that I can’t withdraw from (at least not without penalties). That is just enough of a disincentive to make me rethink whatever large purchase I was thinking of making.

I was driving through Olean yesterday and saw one of those guys who hold up signs when a store is closing advertising percentages off. I didn’t even know Penney’s was closing, and thought I could use some new pillows. I turned the car around and went to the mall. They didn’t have any pillows left, but I did find some bargains.

I got two $15 packages of briefs for $4.50 each. I got a $36 pair of pants for $10.80, a $40 pair for $12.00, and a $44 pair of jeans for $13.20. Plus I bought two $14 CD/DVDs for $1.40 each.

So according to my receipt my $49.82 spent saved me $130.17. Now sure I spent money, but other than the CDs, it was all on things that I need or will use. So my tip is to look for surprise bargains when they happen, including going through the clearance aisles because you never know when you might find something that’s a real bargain that you actually need.

I am switching providers and I’ll be paying $300 less per year for the exact same coverage I had before.

My last two tips are courtesy of one of my best friend’s father.

• Work to eliminate all forms of debt in your life as quickly as possible. The more you are able to keep, the more you can save.

• Never stop putting money into your savings. The more you have in an account the more you will get interest paid to your account. There is never a such thing as having too much savings. If you do think you’re that well off, just put something like $10 each month into savings.

We tend to judge others and ourselves by what we have instead of by who we are. Our society leads us to believe that who we are has a direct connection with how much we can afford buying. I believe some of the material things we consider extremely important can be left behind with no pain involved.

There is a big difference between wanting something and needing something normally. I’m not suggesting that one shouldn’t ever buy something they want, but sometimes you have to say no to yourself. I find myself having to do that a lot. I still have problems doing this sometimes, but I’ve gotten better at it over the years. That goal that I’ve done a couple of months when I don’t buy anything but necessities is a good training ground for knowing what is truly necessary and what is not.

Stop buying things I don’t need.

Don’t shop online unless there’s something you actually need and have decided to buy in advance. Buying something, even if it’s a great bargain, is not a good habit to get into to avoid boredom or alleviate stress.

This entry is thoroughly ripped off from Calypte. :-)

DIY: doing it myself can save me money. Also, being wise and knowing when NOT to do it myself and to hire a specialist can save me even more money.