5 Ways We Saved in November

I love reading blogs like Frugally Blonde and Medium Sized Family which share practical ways that their family has saved money.  A few months ago I decided to write my own post each month on how we save, and it has quickly become one of the most popular features here on The Orthodox Mama.

Here are 5 Ways We Saved in November:

1. Free Entertainment

One of my Goals for 2015 is to have at least one family outing each month.  At the beginning, I was a bit worried that this could get costly, but I have discovered that my children have just as much fun (if not more so!) at free events.  In November we went twice to a little country store near us that has a free petting zoo outside, as well as a playground.  My kids are convinced it is the best place in the world, and I can’t argue with the price!  We also went to our local children’s museum–I’m so thankful my parents gave us a membership last year for Christmas.  Finally, we went to a free outdoor Christmas parade one Saturday morning, and the kids loved getting candy and other small prizes.

Estimated Savings:  $80 (We budget $20 a week for “fun,” but haven’t had to use it this month!)

2. A “Big Fat Check” from Ebates

I received a “big fat check” from Ebates a couple of weeks ago.  If you haven’t signed up for Ebates yet, you should definitely try it out.  Simply put, whenever you make an online purchase, you can go through the Ebates website and then make your purchase.  For example, if you were going to buy a Christmas present through Amazon, you would go to Ebates and type in “Amazon.com” in the search bar.  By adding that one little step, you will get a percentage of cash back from your purchase.  Easy!  I have a tutorial HERE in which I help you sign up for Ebates and give some of my best tips for making the most of the program.

Estimated Savings:  $50 (Woohoo!)

3. Hand-me-downs

A wonderful family in our church has a son one year older than Big Brother.  They often give us clothing that he has outgrown, much to our delight!  This month they gave us:  2 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of cleats, 1 pair of baseball pants, 2 pairs of dress pants, and 4 dress shirts.  How generous is that!  Big Brother is excited to wear his “new” clothes–especially the baseball gear.

Estimated Savings:  $100 (a conservative estimate of the value)

4. A Free Turkey Through Store Loyalty Rewards

Back when I was young and childless, I would shop at a variety of stores in order to find the best deals.  Now that I have three kids in tow whenever I go shopping, however, I get everything in one place.  (Well, two places–the store and the farmer’s market.)  Each October, my store begins a special designed to reward loyalty.  They give a ticket to you each week that you spend $40 or more on groceries.  If you collect 6 tickets, you get a $20 coupon in time for Thanksgiving.  Since I always spend $70 a week on groceries, I automatically get the ticket.  Then it’s just a matter of holding on to all of the tickets and redeeming them.  This year the $20 paid for our turkey and potatoes for Thanksgiving.  Just for shopping at the store like I would have anyway.  Score!

Estimated Savings:  $20

5. My Degree Supplement Bonus

I am a teacher, and my school has a program designed to reward teachers with advanced degrees.  Because I have a master’s degree plus 15 additional hours of graduate work, I get a once a year bonus with my November paycheck.  I love that this coincides with our Christmas budgeting.  My husband and I decided to set aside part of the bonus check for our Christmas budget and then to put the rest into savings.  We have found that having a plan and a goal helps us to use these kinds of bonuses wisely.

Estimated Savings:  $700

Total Savings:  $950

How did you save this month?  Share your savings victories in the comments!

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(Linked to Tips and Tricks, Thrifty Thursday, Small Victories Sunday, Share the Wealth, Frugal Friday.)