One of the hobbies my kids enjoy the most is swimming. If I had a choice, there’s only one thing I’d want to be swimming in: money! A sea of cold hard cash! But in today’s trying times, that seems highly unlikely. There’s just so much spending that goes on in and around the Family that living in the lap of luxury almost seems to be the ultimate mission impossible. Although I may never get the chance to do the freestyle in a pool of money, there are ways for any family to stretch their budget:

Use the power of coupons. These are probably the next greatest invention when it comes to shopping- both online and offline. Take some time to scour the web for Coupons which will slash prices off your online purchases. You’ll find coupons for nearly everything from household implements to makeup. Be wary, though, and don’t just jump at every opportunity. Just because there’s a coupon slashing 75% off the price for twenty boxes of cigars, doesn’t mean you have to go ahead and buy them! If you have no use for the item- even if it’s on sale- don’t buy it.

Grow your own garden. This is your chance to be Mary, Mary, quite contrary and Grow your own veggies. If you have some space in your backyard to spare, you can grow some tomatoes, peppers, etc. Instead of buying these at the grocery, you can conveniently pick them from the pot at home.

Do away with unnecessary subscriptions. Since you can read pretty much all of these online, what’s the point in spending those precious dollars on magazines which will only eventually gather dust at home?

When doing the groceries, the old adage of sticking to your shopping list still holds true. Don’t shop when you’re hungry, as you may be tempted to just pull out anything off the shelves.

Stretching your dollar isn’t all that difficult. With a little discipline and practice, you and your family will be able to live a comfortable life.