Let’s face it- our economy is in the midst of a crisis, which means your family bank account isn’t doing much better. In these trying times, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs. Before you panic, take a look at your existing expenses. If you use a critical eye to review your debts, you’ll find opportunities to cut activities and save money.

Start by saying goodbye to cable TV. Having a zillion channels is a great perk, but is it really necessary? You won’t miss the news- you can catch it online or in the newspaper. If there’s ever a big sports game or presidential debate that is scheduled to be broadcast, just arrange to join a friend at their house for the event. It may be hard at first to adjust to life without television, but it can be done. Not only will you save money by eliminating cable, you’ll gain an extra 4 hours each day! That’s because the average American spends 4 hours a day glued to the television set. Think of all the productive activities your family could be doing with that time- chores around the house, playing outside, cleaning their rooms, the options are endless!

Next ditch your landline. Mobile phones have infiltrated our entire existence- you even see people at the gym talking on their cell and using the elliptical machine simultaneously! There’s really no need to pay two phone bills each month, especially when most cell phone providers offer free long distance and nights/weekends as a standard part of your monthly package. Also look into combining your family’s multiple cell phones into a family plan package, if you haven’t already. You’ll be able to pull from the same pool of minutes in addition to unlimited calls to other members of the plan. Further savings are possible if you downgrade from your existing package to the level below. However, make sure you can abide by the minute limit- going over your minutes each month can get extremely pricey.

Reign in your entertainment activities. Places like movie theatres and shopping malls can turn an innocent trip into an extremely expensive venture. The price of movie tickets are high enough, not to mention the popcorn, drinks, and candy that you buy each time you go to a show. Implement family game night and/or movie night as alternative entertainment. Games such as Trivial Pursuit, Apples to Apples, and Scattegories are great fun for all ages. For as low as $4.99/month you can subscribe to a home movie service such as Netflix, and have unlimited movies of your choice delivered for free.

These suggestions are only a few things you can sacrifice to save your family money. In addition to saving money, you’ll spend more quality time with your family- something you can’t put a price tag on.

Posted in Home Budget

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