Money Saving Tips from Commonwealth Catholic Charities
Food
- Plan meals in advance of your shopping trip.
- Make a shopping list and stick to it.
- Use coupons for items you regularly buy.
- Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.
- Limit food shopping to once a week. The fewer trips, the better.
Utilities
- Lower the thermostat in the winter; raise the thermostat in the summer and use fans.
- Turn off the light when you leave the room.
- Check into balanced billing with your utility company.
- Wait for a full load to wash clothes and dishes.
- Time the yard sprinklers.
Clothing
- Buy washable clothing instead of dry clean only.
- Use detergent that works well in cool and warm water.
- Hang clothes on line to dry instead of using the dryer.
- Shop resale shops for clothing.
- Take gently used clothes to consignment shops and sell them.
Transportation
- Carpool or use a park-and-ride or public transportation.
- Drive smaller cars that cost less to operate.
- Change your oil regularly to prevent costly repairs.
Recreation and entertainment
- Do family things together that are inexpensive — play board games, explore nature, enjoy
hobbies.
- Take vacations at home.
- Use public parks and picnic areas.
- Go to free outdoor concerts.
- Visit your public library.
Gifts and donations
- Carefully consider each charity to which you contribute to be sure your money is being spent
wisely.
- Make gifts instead of buying them.
- Give of your time and labor. Talk to your minister about alternative contributions.
- Save money on cards. Buy a box of nice stationary and write notes instead.
- Draw names for holiday gift giving.
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