How to Live on Nearly Nothing

I love to save money...it's like a game to me. So when a few friends and I were talking last month about finances, stress, one of them wanting to stay home, etc. I went home and wrote down all of the different ways I save our family money. I wrote fast and furious, and soon had three full pages of notes. My plan was to write them legibly and in greater detail, but I haven't gotten very far on that. Things like an ER trip, helping Katie with a research project, and life in general has gotten in the way. I did want to get some info out to those ladies, and anyone else who wants it, so I though I'd blog about it! I do need to preface all of this with two things, though: 1) I don't try to pay as little as possible to be greedy; quite the opposite, in fact. The more money I save, the more money/freebies/supplies I can give away! I don't say that so you think highly of me, but to encourage you to do the same. Even if you are the poorest person in America, you and I have so much more than most people around the world. Let's share! 2) There are some areas where we just won't skimp, #1 being tithe. Again, not saying this to boast, but to say that when you are trimming your budget, I would advise against making cuts in this area. God has provided so faithfully for us, despite our ever-fluctuating income. 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Tip #1: Make your own laundry soap. Yes, you can use it in HE washers, and it gets out every stain I've used it on!
Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha (grated)
Heat until dissolved. Add:
½ cup Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda!)
½ cup Borax
Cook 15 minutes. Add 5 ½ quarts (22 cups) of water. Let cool partially and pour into containers. Some people store it in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, but I just pour it into 3 laundry bottles. Use ½ cup for regular loads (shake bottle before use). This also makes a fabulous stain remover: just pour it in your spray bottle and add more water. Note: you can add essential oil to the laundry soap to make different scents, but I never have (it would increase my cost, and I love the clean scent!). The cost comes out to less than a penny per load!

Also, I have several websites I subscribe to, which are great at helping me find great deals! I think everyone knows about Groupon, but there are several others out there that I love! My favorite new one is SniqueAway. Each day, they add new travel deals, some in the US and some international. We haven't yet booked a trip through them, but I plan on doing so in the near future! I also recently discovered OneKingsLane, which offers really nice items for low prices! The best part is, they give you a $15 credit when you sign up! Sites often do this, and I will score great deals for free or super-cheap! Another one, LivingSocial, has some great deals as well and offers $5 when you sign up, which is how I ended up getting a $20 Amazon.com gift card for only $5! Love it! One more to share is SaveMore, which gives you $10 for signing up...after Christmas, be sure to compliment Katie on her free watch I "bought" through SaveMore! :-) Yay!
Oh, and lest you think I'm spending hours finding all of these deals, I let other people do all of that work! ShopatHome is a great website that lists all kinds of deals, promos, and coupons, AND gives cash back on all of your purchases! I also subscribe to CouponMom and CouponsandFreebiesMom. I let these three websites do all the work, then go score my great deals!
There is so much more to share, but that ought to give you a great start! Happy Savings!