How am I going to do this?

[Kbsmama]

DH has received some scary news at work...He is in industrial sales, selling the stuff to companies they need to make stuff. His biggest account, responsible for about a fifth of his salary was under contract with his company, but in March it runs out, and they are not renewing NATIONWIDE. His second largest account has apparently not paid their bills in about 120 days. He fears they are going under, and if they cannot get the money from them, he will have to pay for orders they made that he was paid for, about $5000. They will take it out of his salary over the year, so we are looking at a substantial cut in our income this year. I am not scheduled to teach until fall (and I am not actually scheduled then either, but I am hopeful that I will get classes), so it is possible I could make up for some lost income, but it would not be until the end of the year, and it is not guaranteed that I will get classes.

So, I don't think we're living terribly high, but we've got to find some way to cut expenses. I keep trying to think of some way to cut on phone/cable/internet, but here's the deal. Back when I got a cell, we decided to drop our landline. I pay $45 a month for cell usage. We pay $90 a month for cable modem and digital cable. We cannot drop our cable TV service any lower, or we can't use the cable modem, and the cost of a BASIC land line for dial-up plus $10 a month dial-up service is about $30 a month. Then there's the fact that if I work, I'm working online, and cable modem cuts my work time significantly. So, the reason I keep having to wrack my brain over that one, I guess, is because that's the lowest I'm going to manage. I have another 1 1/2 years, I think, left on my cell contract, so dropping to dial-up temporarily is not an answer, either.

I am making our bread now. I just started. I don't know that it will save us a ton of money, because we almost always buy bread at a discount bread store, but I feel good about it because I know it's healthier. I cook from scratch, but I have to get/stay organized so that I am efficient and don't wind up ordering pizza on a bad night. I shop sales and clip coupons, use co-ops, buy in bulk. I need to keep meals low in fat and cholesterol for DH (and probably for me too; my mom has very high colesterol, but I haven't been tested).

I am going to try to convince DS to cut down lunches at school; I don't like what they offer anyway, and it costs 1.75 for lunch. I haven't calculated, but I am certain when he takes lunch it is not costing me that much.

I will put up a clothesline when winter breaks.

I will find a way to mow my lawn instead of paying a neighbor kid $15 bucks a shot to do it this summer. I have several neighbors who are stay-at-home moms, so we should be able to work something out.

I need more ideas. It gets a little hard when it seems everything is already cut. I do not feel deprived at all, but I am not sure what else we can do without a little deprivation...I use cloth TP most of the time, cloth rags for cleaning, vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. I've read just about every book on saving money there is. The one thing we haven't done is set a budget and stick to it, especially regarding food, so maybe once that is done, it will work, but my fear is once we've cut everything within reason, we still won't have enough money. I don't want to go to work. I want to have another baby. I know that's selfish of me. DH doesn't even know I want to have another baby...I don't think now's the time to bring it up, eh?

Sorry to go on. I'm just trying to get myself into a "lean" mindframe. Somehow, I want us not only to survive, but to make some headway here. I thought we were finally at a point where we might be able to do this, but now I don't know. Why is it that it seems to come so easily to some? Just when we start to feel comfortable--here we go again. We don't live lavishly. We don't eat out all the time or go on trips or shop at the mall or any of that. We're not deprived though, by any means. Do we have to be deprived?

[kandemama]

You probably already do all this, but buying clothes at the thrift store helps us alot - especially since my kids tend to put holes in the knees quickly. Go to free events at local nature centers, libraries and museums vs. paying to go to the movies. Check out books from the library and read in the evenings vs. renting movies. Have your husband pack lunch for work - I started doing this and it helps tremendously. Stop drinking alcohol and sodas and that saves $. Limit eating out to once a month. I have found that being thrifty is a habit that gets easier with time. It is the little expenditures that really break my budget and I am getting better at cutting them out.

Good luck. I know things must seem scary right now for you guys, and I hope things work out favorably for you.

[qtkitty]

I hope that he can get them to pay !!

Perhaps you can cut down on meat consumption ... or choose a lower cost meat to eat the majority of the time .. Also look for reduced meats .. early morning when they change prices is a great time to do that.

Look around for local produce maybe even "pick your own" places.. often they have much lower prices then stores do and the veggies are fresher.

If you have the space, you could start a garden. You can produce more veggies in one space then you would think. Then freeze or can the over production from the summer for winter. Your children could even help, plant , weed , water, and pick the bad bugs off the plants. ( this also cuts down on the grass that will need mowed hehehe ME BAD i told my fiance we needed to get some pygmy goats so they would cut the grass for us *LOL*)

Declutter your house hold and hold yard sales.

Put all your old clothes that are in good shape and you no longer want in consignment ( check around at different consignment shops because some get better prices so you will get a bigger return. Also look for a nice clean consignment shop that is in a nice area and has customers often. Ask the owner about the rules and any other questions you have )

[arasmama]

I'm a little confused on the cable part. Can't you just buy a cable modem and cut the TV? You can get cable modems for less than $50 now.

[Kbsmama]

Allison,
Thank you...hmmm...I have to talk to DH about this one. Perhaps I am just wording it wrong? Can I get cable service without having cable TV? Once I have a cable modem, can I use any service I want?