Cutting Back

In this day and age where everything is getting more expensive and employers are cutting back on raises and bonuses, almost everyone is looking for a way to cut back.  Personally, we have made a few changes.

• At the grocery store, I've started buying less name brand and more generic products.  Coupon clipping is also something I'm trying to do more often.
• Eating out is something we've tried to cut back on.  We're not doing so hot with this though due to my well known Chipotle addiction.
• Extras.  We try not to buy things that aren't pretty necessary.  From clothes to snacks, or entertainment to junk that will sit around the house.  We look twice at purchases to determine if we really need them and if they're worth the money.  Sometimes using a broken laundry basket is feasible for a few more months.
• Hubby has been dreaming of a new car for years.  He drives a 12-year old Honda CRV that has no A/C, no clock, and a cracked windshield.  Yet, it still runs and gets him to and from work.  Every month that he holds off buying a new car is several hundred dollars in our savings. 
• Yesterday, I cancelled our daily newspaper.  That was a tough one.  Hubby was the one who noticed we weren't finding the time to read it.  Several days a week, we were tossing out an unread, still folded newspaper.  We downgraded to Saturday and Sunday only.
• I know vitamins are a good thing but Hubby was ordering and using extremely expensive ones.  He's a sucker for anything that claims it's better for you than anything else.  He hasn't noticed a difference since he started taking them so we're cancelling the automatic shipment.
• The next thing on my list to cancel is our land line.  We rarely use it and don't come close to using all the minutes on our cell phones.  If the house phone rings, it's either a sales call or my one aunt who never calls my cell for some reason.  I'm still fighting this one but I don't know why.  I guess there are still some people I don't like to give my cell number to.  So instead of cancelling it completely, I called and removed some of the features, such as voice mail.  (I never check my messages anyway.)  I saved $14/month just by doing that.  That's great for now but I look forward to totally eliminating that bill.
• I am really bummed that the NFL settled and there will be football this year.  My husband is a huge Broncos fan and subscribes to NFL Sunday Ticket.  It's ridiculously expensive and totally not worth it (if you ask me).  He disagrees and considers this his one luxury in life.  I think of all the things we could buy with the money we would save by cancelling Sunday Ticket.  Can I get an "Amen!" from any wives out there???

Some friends of ours live in a gorgeous new house in a fancy allotment.  They soon realized the house purchase was out of their means but didn't want to move.  So they got rid of one of their cars.  The husband also got a second job loading trucks in the wee hours of the morning.  He comes home from his first job, showers, and changes.  His wife then drives him to work so she can use the car for her job as a house cleaner.  She picks him up at the end of the day and they save hundreds a month.

What things has your family tried as a way to save money?  What has worked and what hasn't?  We can all use more suggestions!