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| | From:  ToniTempo (Original Message) | Sent: 10/25/2007 6:00 PM |
With all our medical and mega home and auto repair bills lately we've become a little over extended. Not a good thing with the holidays right around the corner. UGH! Anyway, we're cinching up our belt and trying to save a few dollars. Luckily our biggest car payment will be paid off in about six months and that will help a lot, but until then, OUCH!
Do ou have any tried and true methods that help you save a few dollars? Even "DUH!" tips are welcome. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the most basic things.
Here're a few we're doing:
-I've gone back to work
-We're eating out MUCH less (still room for improvement especially with DH)
-Making more meals from scratch. (WOW! Takes a lot of planning especially with my working now!!)
-We're making more sack lunches for kids (room for improvement), but at $2+ a meal and the fact that the kids come home starving, it's a good thing to improve.
-We're buying fewer luxury foods at the store (cookies, pop, etc.)
-I'm driving less
-We're watching movies we have instead of renting or buying
-PRAYING!
-Bumped the thermostat down 2 degrees.
Unlike most of our neighbors, we don't pay to have the lawn done, house cleaned, cars serviced, etc. I almost wish we did because thn I'd know it was something I could cut!! lol
I know this won't last forever. I'm not even really upset about Christmas. The kids have had some really nice Christmases. Won't hurt any of us to go lean for a little while. I'm just feeling a lot of anxiety about having to juggle bills and worrying about grocery money. We won't starve, but it's sure difficult to have to work so hard when so many around us are going on fancy vacations, remodeling their homes, etc. It really takes a lot of effort to keep from being sucked into the "Hafta be like the Jones" trap.
Anyway, your tips would be muy appreciated!
~Toni |
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*cut family down to one cell phone and
change it to pay as you go, use only in emergencies
*cut cable back to basic
*check out websites for new hamburger
recipes (or whatever is cheap in your area)
*go back to dial-up on internet
*get some board games for family fun at the
salvation army or wherever as they are expensive
*family fun - hike in the woods, bicycle
outing, picnic at park, go down to Santa Claus or Thanksgiving parade, if
museums are free one day in your area go then
*do away with pump dispenser soaps and go
back to the old bar
*cut shampoo in half with water while still
in the bottle
*cut back on cleaning products, use one
really good allpurpose and alcohol or ammonia for windows
*carve a pumpkin for Halloween and forget
about all those other decorations
*be creative with face paint for
Halloween
*reuse flyers to write out shopping lists
on
*use baking soda as a cleanser
*mend/repair clothing when the button is
just starting to get loose
*go to the library for
books/magazines/videos
*attend free skating at arenas when offered
(like mom and tot stuff) |
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these are all great tips .. thanks for posting toni & freckles.. Not alot to add that you ladies haven't already posted but here is a few things.. - I'm working at home doing Medical Transcription now, since Feb. and instead of getting rid of my 3 houses I clean, I am still doing them at least thru the end of this year, will see after that..
- One of my BIGGEST SAVERS is to go shopping without kids or dh, I've been trying to do this
- I took off our movie channels on satellite
- I can almost get by with Pledge & Windex for cleaning around the house.. Even floors I love using Windex
- Cut back on just running to the $ store because we need something, make one trip when I go clean a house, then go to grocery store, $ store & to see babies.. (although there are times I have grandbaby withdrawals & HAVE TO make a special trip down)
 - trying to plan my meals & shop from my list
- cut down on snacks as well
ok, I'm done for now, I'm repeating some of what you ladies have already put down, but they do work.. |
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Ok, this is what I did last year when we became lower then dirt poor: Get rid of land line and only have cell phone Shop at discount grocery store and buy store name brands or mark downs Cut to basic cable only We have cable internet so we get a discount for internet and tv Only eat out twice a month |
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Boy, I thought I had responded to these! Sorry I didn't!
Thank you! You're ideas are fantastic! Here are some other things we've done:
-Combined services for discount (cable and internet for a discount. My high speed is now cheaper than dial-up was and oh, so much nicer!!)
-Cable is now basic. Would cancel it altogether, but we wouldn't get any service then.
-checked around for lowest prices on milk and gas.
-Take lunches to work/school
-Use more of my food storage for meals rather than always running to the store (beats the $40 gallon of milk problem!)
-make treats instead of buying them.
-only 1cell phone. (DH gets his through work) I hate mine and would gladly give it up, but everyone else likes me to have it!
-Use cell phones for long distant phone calls. (free!)
-Bargained to bbsit my nieces for a 50lb bag of FRESH Idaho Potatoes (DBro lives in ID)
-Bumped heat way down at night and when we're gone.
-Cut WAY back on pop. Drink more water now. |
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Sounds like you are making great progress
Toni!!! |
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heres a few things i do to cut down on
$$$
milk -keep a box of powder on hand not dont
say eww yet use it when making potatoes etc. i mix it with a tad of regular milk
but it helps milk last longer and at $4-6 a gallon who wouldnt want to make it
last
phone-we have Free long distance and have
given up our cell phone all together we only pay like 10 more a mth
we combine cable and higspeed for both it
cost yus 66 when just cable is 56
gas get hubby to pick up things from store on his
way home send a list with him when possible
combine dr appts in 1 day
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 8:19
AM
Subject: Re: Super Saving Tips
Super
Saving Tips
Reply
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| From: ToniTempo |
Boy, I thought I had responded to
these! Sorry I didn't!
Thank you! You're ideas are
fantastic! Here are some other things we've
done:
-Combined services for discount (cable and internet
for a discount. My high speed is now cheaper than dial-up was
and oh, so much nicer!!)
-Cable is now basic. Would cancel it
altogether, but we wouldn't get any service then.
-checked
around for lowest prices on milk and gas.
-Take lunches to
work/school
-Use more of my food storage for meals rather
than always running to the store (beats the $40 gallon of milk
problem!)
-make treats instead of buying them.
-only 1cell
phone. (DH gets his through work) I hate mine and would gladly
give it up, but everyone else likes me to have it!
-Use cell
phones for long distant phone calls. (free!)
-Bargained to
bbsit my nieces for a 50lb bag of FRESH Idaho Potatoes (DBro
lives in ID)
-Bumped heat way down at night and when we're
gone.
-Cut WAY back on pop. Drink more water
now. | |
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When I lived at home my mom would add powder milk to reg. milk to make it last longer. |
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My DH's family did that and he would never forgive me or himself if we did half powdered and half regular milk to his kids. It's STILL something he laments about!! LOL Luckily my dad grew up on a dairy farm and although funds were tight at our house, he wouldn't allow it. lol We also had 5 dairies within a mile of our house and I think it was almost cheaper to buy fresh milk than powdered!
Like the idea of using it in potatoes and such though!
~Toni |
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