Yesterday, we here at Freedom Home Care posted a blog that highlighted ways to save at the grocery store. Because some retirees are living on a budget and are often looking for methods to stretch a dollar, we thought that we would continue with the topic of thrifty living.
So without further ado, here are a handful of ways to make less equal more, courtesy of SelfGrowth.com:
1. Consolidate car trips: Group all of your errands into one outing with the trip mapped out to avoid unnecessary back-tracking. This will save money on gasoline and really stretch your gas dollars.
2. Buy meat in larger packages: Cut them down to a size more suited to your needs and freeze these smaller packages. Always date these packages so that they don’t end up with freezer burn. You can also economize by joining a wholesale club such as Sam’s or Costco. If the membership fee is too much for you alone, partner with someone and shop together. Since many of their items are really too much for just one or two people, a partnership would help you split the items you purchase into smaller bits.
3. Visit the library more: This will save you on books and movies too. Low-cost movie rental machines have also sprung up outside of many stores. There you can r

ent movies for just one dollar. If you watch a lot of movies that aren’t available at the library or Redbox, then Netflix is a great choice, too. You’ll never have late fees and can rent as many movies as you like each month.
4. Turn down the thermostat at night and when you are out of the house: A one degree drop for about 8 hours will reduce your bill by about 1 percent. If you have a regular schedule and are prone to forgetting to adjust the thermostat, then a programmable thermostat is a good choice. You can set it to be cooler at night, but warm the house just prior to you getting up in the morning.
5. Become a savvy shopper: Shop yard sales, auctions, eBay and always keep your eyes out for deals. Use coupons and take advantage of double coupon days or Senior’s days when using your coupons.
6. Buy off-season: After the Christmas holiday is the time to stock up on decorations and wrapping paper for next year. The fall is the time to purchase items for your gardening needs. At the beginning of each new season, the stores clear out their merchandise from the last season. That’s the time to purchase your clothes.
We here at Freedom Home Care are always happy to discover new ways to save money. So, head to our Facebook page and share your ideas with us. We’d appreciate it!