Journal Jar Returns...Again!

Okay, my sister in law, captain of the Journal Jar, is finally relocated and has her internet set up so Journal jar is back for real this time.

I must say this week's question gave us a good laugh last night.

What are some of my money saving techniques? How do I save money?

I come from the school of "if the laundry basket is full, it is time to go shopping." I was also raised eating dinner out every night and allowing the kitchen table to be used only for it's true calling....board games! I am not your best resource if you want to learn to cut corners.

Then there is Seth who comes from the land of bargain shoppers, but remember they buy stuff they don't need just because it's cheap. Do I have to show you the chocolate shot glasses that are still hibernating in my cupboard waiting for us to become shot drinkers? Even Seth's righteous Mormon Grandma could probably be persuaded to buy a keg of beer if the price was right. Just kidding. But wait...think of all the beer battered fish we could make. Let's do it Grandma. I'll look for a deal.

Alright, all kidding aside, even though we come from a long line of spenders we have made some attempts at frugality in our days. For awhile I declared one week a month Super Cheap Week. We could only spend $50 on food that week. It was actually pretty fun until grocery prices doubled and the sticker shock drove me right back to my old ways.

Seth also tried to carpool for awhile but he likes to be able to come and go as he pleases so that didn't stick either.

Now the rest of my ideas may not actually save you any money so be forewarned before you jump in and follow blindly.

Get a Sam's Club card. We save lots of money on paper towels, toilet paper and diapers which means we can buy cases of cookies, and candy, and gum, and sunless tanning lotion, and all kinds of other crap we don't need. Sam's Club is Seth's kind of shooping.

Get a library card. I used to buy books but now I try to borrow them first, although Seth pointed out that I have probably given more money to the library in the past year than I have ever given to any bookstore. Touche!

Don't turn on your AC until it is at least 85 degrees in your house. I love being warm and it also keeps my bill low. Now that really does save money, right? Not if you crank your heat up to 72 degrees all winter and refuse to lower it at any cost.

Don't buy clothes. Just wear your tired old wardrobe from 1993 and let everyone laugh it up. All the money you save on clothes can easily be blown on kids craft supplies at Hobby Lobby.

Throw away birthday invitations that come in the mail for your kids. Or just make sure your kids are horribly unpopular so that you don't ever have to buy gifts.

And this week Seth leaves us with just one suggestion, but listen up because it is a tasty little morsel. When you go to the movie with your friend (Jared for example) pack a little bag of homemade cookies for each of you. Then rather than paying the $8 for 2 small drinks go for the bargain and share one large soda for $4.75. That saves you $3.25 and you get the glory of sitting in the movie theater sipping out of a straw with your buddy. Make sure to go home and tell your wife and friends so that they can all tease you indefinitely. Cheap soda and free flowing laughter. Life doesn't get much better than that!