what have you changed, done without or altered to make up for rising prices. Any tips for the rest?

[greenbriar]

We have gotten rid of all extra cable so no more Bill Mahar or Big Love

We make menus and only buy what we need for a specific meal

we do not go to the movies or even rent movies

We do not buy chips, ice cream or candy

We got rid of our house phone and only have the cells

We did not renew any magazine subscriptions

We do not take unnecessary trips to anywhere


those are but a few..


what have you done?

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. less takeout food, more home cooking.

[eallen]

84. Ditto. As much for health as for economy.

[Initech]

2. Nothing! That is exactly what those scumfucks want us to do!

[Catch22Dem]

3. Definitely lighter on the gas pedal

Unless the idiot in front of me is driving like an .... idiot.

[truedelphi]

4. Don't you mean the idiot behind YOU??

We drive 50 and even 45 when we can get away with it (Live in the country - it is all highway driving out here)

[roguevalley]

94. I ride my bike now. will until the snow flies.

put your stuff on electrical strips and when you leave the room, turn them off. My clock, stove-frig-freezer, phones are the only thing plugged in all the time. All my other stuff is on blocks. I went from $192 a month electricity to 25. Turn off lights when you don't use them. Reconsider outdoor lights at night. It adds up.

[freefall]

132. Be careful, roguevalley.

Depending on where you live the outdoor lights at night may be important. They are one of the biggest deterrents to crime and as life becomes harder and people become more desperate crime is rising. Otherwise I totally agree with you.

[zanne]

5. We also let go of our movie channels...

We discontinued the daily paper, our grocery list contains things like meat, vegetables and soup. I'm making large casseroles and freezing portions so we have plenty of leftovers. The cats can't be as picky as they used to be (no more extra feedings), credit cards are used only to pay bills, etc.

[greenbriar]

6. the dog loved taking the cats food so now we only buy cat food and

they both eat it

[zanne]

9. How is the dog digesting the cat food?

Any problems?

[greenbriar]

12. no problems at all. In fact, she eats better now. She is 10 years old

and only picked out the little pieces and left the bigger ones anyway


I think she really likes the change and has been acting more spry

[Rosemary2205]

15. I don't think that's a good idea.

I'm pretty sure the taurine in the cat food is BAD for the dog.

[greenbriar]

16. I think she is healthier.. she acts like she feels better

her coat is more shiney

she is more active

[zanne]

17. Hey...If it works, it works. nt

[Wcross]

21. I wouldn't do that, the animals have differing nutritional needs.

Cat food is formulated for cats. Your dog is going to be coughing up hairballs pretty soon!

[Clear Blue Sky]

7. Eat home. Skip Starbucks. Plan driving to reduce mileage.

[raccoon]

78. Same as above, except I never went to Starbucks in the first place. nt

[tavalon]

80. Yep, no more specialty coffee which for a Seattlite is almost sacriligious!

[jojo54]

8. Nothing as of yet.

Hub and I haven't been able to sit down and figure out what can be cut back for at least 2 months, because of a whole bunch of personal stuff going on.

In all honesty, I think we're going to be putting our house up for sale very soon, so cutting back now might be a moot point.

[roguevalley]

96. I hope this house thing is a personal choice, jojo54. I worry about

people I don't even know. I hug you long distance. :hug:

[mdmc]

121. same here

Hang in there jojo!
:toast:roguevalley

[bluethruandthru]

10. Carpool to work with hubby.

Bring lunch to work instead of eating out.
Putting off dr. visits for check ups
Not buying many non-necessities.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I religously shop at the pX

and I do coffee out of home once a week, twice when I am lucky

Oh and black coffee

Yesterday I was intending to get some coffee when I went to pick something up at the store... I bought what I needed and no coffee

It is truly a luxury now

[Rosemary2205]

13. ROFL

Great ideas.

Just LMAO that the world has changed to where Cell phones are a necessity and landlines are a luxury. No judgement, honest, just tickled.

[Synnical]

33. Don't Land Lines Fund 911 calls?

I've been thinking of giving up my land line and the only reason I keep it is because I've had the number for almost 20 years.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Rosemary2205]

39. I think the cells do too.

I believe the only phone service that does not is broadband phone.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[greenbriar]

40. you can call 911 from a Cell

even if you don't have service

[glowing]

122. I pay a monthly fee for 911 service on the digital land line...

[rdenney]

186. All cellphones can call 911 no matter if they are off of a plan..

and both cell and landline charge a tax for 911 calls.

[rdenney]

110. I believe you can switch your land-line number to a cell-phone if its in the same area code..

as the cell-phone service area code as well.

I think you can search up on it with the "portability" law that was passed a number of years ago, allowing cell-phone users to keep the same phone number when switching to a different cell-phone carrier.

These days it seems that cell-phones really are a necessity for many of us who cant afford to miss a work-call, an employment opportunity call, or those of us who are self-employed who have a business to take care of.

[Evoman]

131. Cell phones pay a 911 fee as well. Check your bill under Fees...you should

see a fee that goes to 911 and one that goes to the FCC.

I know this because I worked for ATT Customer service for awhile. A lot of people would call in to complain about the fees. Very stupid people.

[bamademo]

14. I'm single so I have disposable income...

...but having been unemployed at 1 point for 18 months, I learned many tricks for saving money.

1) Save all your change. It adds up.

2) Cook all your own meals from scratch. I grow veggies, shop at the local farmers market and I
don't eat processed foods.

3) Read more books. I frequent the used book store.

4) Shop at the thrift store. I've bought more designer clothes that I could have never afforded
without charging or saving at thrift stores. I'm talking London Fog rain coats, Couch and Dooney
and Burke handbags and Ann Taylor among others.

5) Volunteer and you'll get perks. I volunteer here http://www.burrittonthemountain.com/ in the
barnyard section and I get free fresh eggs, milk, veggies and herbs. I also get free admission.

6) If you have cable, get a DVR. That way you can record everything you want and watch at your
leisure. This way you can save electricity by controlling when you watch.

7) People, you can live without AC in the mild months. I'm in Alabama, it's early May and the
hottest it's gotten has been 83. Use window fans. Same applies to cold weather. Don't feed
the evil empire, bundle up.

[Synnical]

28. Thrifting is always good

I just bought a bamboo Entertainment Center for $30 last week - they really don't make units anymore for CRT TeVee's and I'm not buying a flat screen since the one I have works just fine and I have satellite telly - cheaper than cable in my part of the barn. And yes, I have a DVR. No Premium channels, gave those up two years ago. But I can still Tivo Democracy NOW!

Also, Public Libraries!!!!

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Thothmes]

108. When cooking you own meals

If you have a microwave, electric skillet and toaster oven, use these for your cooking. take a look at the size of the heating elements in a standard range vs an electric skillet. I saved between $40 & $50 a month on my electric bill by using the small electric appliances when I can, instead of the built in range/oven.

[drmeow]

161. Re: #3

Libraries are even cheaper.

[prolesunited]

18. We make menus and only buy what we need for a specific meal

Rather than doing this, a better way would be to shop the sales, use coupons and start building a pantry by cherry picking the loss leaders. Right now, several stores are selling eggs for 98 cents a dozen

Plan your menus around the sales, and as you build up your pantry, you will have many more choices as you've previously bought things on sale. We've cut our grocery bill by about 40% using this method, but we have convenient access to a number of different grocery stores. And I've also been able to buy more organic products as the options expand.

Also, why not try a garden this year. Even if you don't have a lot of space, you can grow quite a bit in containers. Farmer's markets also are a great source of bargains and you can freeze extra for later. A small freezer is a good investment.

[greenbriar]

19. we used to do the stock up thing but found we spent more money

now we plan meals weekly and only buy the necessary groceries


we have saved over 100 dollars a week doing it this way because there are no impulse buys, no just in case things to get

we know what we are eating and only buy what is needed



it has helped our grocery budget greatly

[prolesunited]

22. Whatever works best for you

It's just my husband and myself. Sometimes our schedules are different so we don't even eat together or we'll just figure it out for ourselves (like tonight).

[AlCzervik]

20. nothing, we already cut out buying a bunch of stuff especially junk food a few years ago.

i also stopped buying magazines, the only way i get them now is by air miles i've accumulated.

[RadiationTherapy]

23. Keep cooked grains in the fridge at all times. Also keep cut and clean veggies on hand.

I eat a lot of rice, hummous and veggie burritos these days.

[lonestarnot]

24. Many things.

Bought a hybrid a couple of years ago, stocked up all the extra places that will hold food, going to turn off some stuff soon. Never take any trips unless it is a necessity, shop the sales, make the list and stick too it from the sale flyers, cook outside on the barbie, bought a swamper, that can go through July and August (but then there is the water bill and use of extra water, they charge for sewer even if you water the grapefruit with it), cut out lawn care but for once per month (the weeds like that, the city doesn't) I know there is more but I'm tired.

[amerikat]

30. What is a swamper?(NT)

[lonestarnot]

47. A swamp cooler.

[amerikat]

49. please explain before i Google it

[amerikat]

53. Googled it...........evaprative cooler.....got it

[begin_within]

57. They only work well in low-humidity climates

They are popular in Arizona, Nevada and the desert areas of southern California. They are more efficient and cheaper to run than air conditioners, but in humid climates they don't work well, because they depend on the evaporation of water to provide the cooling.

[greenbriar]

58. oh a water cooler

my grandma had one

never an air conditioner but a water cooler


I thoguht it was weird at the time, but I was like 10

[texastoast]

181. Redoing the AC

We have an old central air unit, and we are going to replace it with ugly window units (not as ugly as they used to be). Cuts the cooling bill in half and that helps in Texas and is far less wasteful.

And I'm going to take my life in my hands and buy a scooter for neighborhood stuff. Even folks in the burbs are starting to by them. Gotta start somewhere.

Buying bread at the day-old bread store.

Riding the bus religiously.

Combining trips.

Spousal unit has to have a new vehicle, so we are getting a used hybrid.

Playing more family board games.

[lonestarnot]

102. There is a new deal called a chiller. The chiller cools the air going into the unit.

It's dry here until usually July and August, but the chiller is supposed to allow use during those two months, so I don't know if it would work out in a totally humid summer or not. :shrug:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

112. Swamp coolers won't work in East and South Texas.

Or even Dallas.

The air not only has to be cooled, the water has to be removed from the air as well. When the humidity is high, sweat is useless, because it does not evaporate. Therefore, evaporative cooling does not occur.

When I grew up we had an attic fan and only a couple of window units. We suffered a lot. Mom always had a red face, like she had a rash, and sweat streaming down her neck. She also cussed it a lot.

The lows at night were 78 or 80, making it impossible to sleep.

Fans in hot, humid climates do not help people. In fact, they act like a convection oven, distributing the heat around more quickly and heating people up.

Poor people don't run their air conditioners even if they have a window unit, because they can't afford the electricity. So the poor and elderly die by the thousands (see Chicago a few years ago) and our society says they are disposable.

[AZBlue]

150. They won't. My parents used to live in a house with one and whenever it

would get humid (yes, it does do that sometimes in AZ, especially with the monsoons) they would just turn it off because it was only adding to the humidity.

[lonestarnot]

101. Sorry Bob Weaver. I didn't see this until just now.

I got the :puke: thing going on today, which started last night. See you looked it up though. :toast:

[Juche]

25. A few things

Not too many. I am using a family members old Geo Metro instead of my ranger because it gets 2x better mileage and uses 87 instead of 93.

I got rid of my blockbuster online subscription.

I am using goozex to get old PC games instead of buying new Wii games


That is about it so far.

[CTyankee]

26. well, we need a land line phone so we still have that but

we've cut lots of eating out. Spouse does not have a cell phone, I do but have a cut rate cuz I don't use it often. I still have a gym membership at $15 a month so I can go on the treadmill.

I clip coupons and shop the specials at Stop and Shop. I organize my trips to coincide with any trips on the Parkway or Interstate.

It's all a matter of planning. If you can just sit down and plot out what you need to do, you can get things done more efficiently.

[amerikat]

27. I'm frugal by nature but I have made some changes due to the

downturn in the economy.

I have two cars each 15 years old(it takes 4000 gallons of oil to make a new car) . A Toyota 4runner and a Subaru something. I drive the Subaru, it get twice the miles per gallon. The Toyota gets me thru the tough winters in upstate NY. I also add Acetone to the gas........seems like it gives me about 10% better mileage.

I use the clothes line when weather permits instead of using the dryer.

I insulated my hot water heater.

Switched to cf light bulbs years ago.

I only use rechargeable batteries.

Bought a bread machine at a yard sale. $20 brand new never used. Good bread here is $4.00. I think I can make it for less that a dollar.

Started a "square foot garden". Some investment $ but I think it will pay off big time.

I'll be buying a wood stove......wood is plentiful here and wood is cheaper than oil per btu.

I shop thrift stores and yard sales and try to buy everything on sale.

I bought a compost tumbler on craigslist for $50.....almost $500 new plus shipping.

And last but not least......I buy GO cups at the supermarket. Coffee to go, about 14 cups for $3.00 as apposed to $2 bucks a cup at Dunking Donuts.

Thanks for posting I bet we will all learn alot of good tips from this post. Also check out DU Forum

"Frugal and energy officiant"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=353

[greenbriar]

29. I thought I might learn some new ways to save

and it is very interesting to see how people make changes and save

[amerikat]

32. Did you learn anything from my post?(nt)

[greenbriar]

35. I had never thought about buying to go cups for coffee

that is a great idea


and saves quite a bit over time...



also convinced me that I should start hanging clothes out on the line again!!!

I used to but became spoiled

[amerikat]

41. I wash them too.....you can use them 3 or 4 times

and you can have your coffee the way you like it.

[greenbriar]

42. that makes sense

and easy to do

[1]

66. heh. yes, never buy a breadmaker, crockpot, etc. brand new...

you can visit any thrift store anywhere and find these items either new or in used once condition. and pay only a few dollars to acquire one because they have so many.

i know it's easy to make bread without a breadmaker, but i only have so many hours in a day. i can toss a few, very inexpensive ingredients into my thrift store panasonic, (with its "custom" delayed yeast release feature and "fancy" lcd display. ha ha!) go about my business, and come back in a few hours to a great loaf of bread. i love that machine...



oh. and amerikat. i love your wood stove idea. i went pellet stove about five years ago when i first moved here. i'm all old, broke down and used up, but i still needed a cheap way to heat my cabin. i've never paid more than $170 a ton for my pellets, and i've never needed more that a ton to get me through a winter.

but my bud jeff is young and strong and smart. he pays nothing for the wood he burns. i live in the boonies, trees everywhere. dead trees in great numbers. just about everyone would like or wouldn't care if these dead trees are removed. jeff is so bold he will knock on doors asking that question. he has a chain saw, a 16' trailer and the strength to take down a tree, especially and usually the already fallen variety. jeff's expense to heat his house every year is an attitude and the price of saw chains and files to keep them sharp.


"Frugal and energy officiant" rock on!

[AZBlue]

152. What's a square foot garden? I live in an apt. and am trying to figure out a way

to create a container garden - is that anything like that?

[BronxBoy]

191. Gogle Earthbox n/t

[greenbriar]

31. rec this to keep it going

thanks

[amerikat]

34. K&R

WE should keep this going.

[electron_blue]

36. Not now, but several years ago I made big big cuts in my spending.

Back when I took a big financial hit. My advice is to take a good hard look at everything you spend. Identify your luxuries, eliminate them, then look hard at your "necessities", prioritize them and cut back. Make a budget of what you can afford now, scale back accordingly and then go the extra mile and cut back an additional 10-20% bcs you'll still need some cushion. Don't make the mistake of just eliminating the small items (like a fancy coffee). Focus on items that cost $100-$200/month and slash those whenever possible. If you're lucky, it'll only be for a few years. Good luck!

[greenbriar]

37. going to go through every closet and drawer

get rid of anything I have not touched in a year

and have a HUGE yardsale


and then donate the rest to goodwill and get a receipt for taxes

[pitohui]

138. receipt for taxes is worthless unless you itemize

and if you itemize then you are earning too much to be worried!

clothes won't sell here, so this idea is a particularly sad waste of time, sell a T-shirt you paid $5 for all of 25 cents or give it away for nothing so goodwill can make it into rags

i'd rather just cut it up for my own rags if it's so far gone i can't garden or work out in it

since i must travel frequently, one thing i can do for out of style clothes is wear them on my trip and then leave them behind, so my bag gets lighter and lighter as i go

[drmeow]

162. Its not necessarily true

that people who can itemize earn too much to be worried. People who itemize have mortgages and may be feeling a pinch.

[greenbriar]

38. we also keep our heat/air at 68 in winter and 72 in summer

hubby has athsma or I would use windows a lot more

[amerikat]

46. I run at 62 degrees in the winter

and use a big window fan in the summer to draw to cool night air into the house. It's a big fan bought at a yard sale. 60's vintage built like a tank. Reversible too can bring air in or blow it outside. Saves many bucks on the air conditioning which I only use in the bedroom.

[Flying Dream Blues]

180. Please, what is "cool night air"? :) nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

182. There is no cool night air where there is high humidity.

Hell, in SE Texas we're already hitting 95 in the daytime and the low has been 78 at night. This goes on for months. Fans don't cut it.

[Skittles]

194. I f***ing hear you there

Texas night air still feels like a g.d. oven :(

[NJCher]

185. we do that, too

My husband lived in Italy for 20 years--where they don't use AC much--and he taught me that trick. We close up the house in the hot summer months, starting on the east side. Shades are down, windows shut. It stays cool most of the day. That way we only have to use the AC a little bit each day.

In Italy, they have outdoor shutters. We'd like to get them but so far have just been making do with inside shades, etc.

There are also reflective window treatments for windows where the sun really hits. One can get a roll of this material at any home improvement store.



Cher

[pinto]

43. Walking more for errands, plan to spend my fed payment thing on a bike tune-up.

[Fuzz]

44. Reduced the takeout, eased up on the groceries a bit

no go away vacations the last few years, pushed off some home improvements. Stuff like that.

[libnnc]

45. We've stopped going to the movies

using more generic brands from the grocery store

SO is experimenting with riding the bus to work a couple of days a week

stopped eating steak eating more cheaper cuts of chicken (thighs and rice)

socking way spare change here and there

all kinds of stuff

[amerikat]

48. Great post

K&R again

[greenbriar]

50. I forgot a great one. We teachers have started a recycle books program

we read books then bring them to school and swap them out

[MissB]

51. I got a job.

Well, not so much because of the higher prices to be honest. It was just the right time for me to return to my career.

I'm already as frugal as I currently need to be. All of us (including the kiddos) take our lunches to work or school every day. I make lots of items from scratch. I buy in bulk. I stock up on items that we use that are on sale (price book theory).

The grocery bill is our biggest variable, but with meal planning and my shopping patterns I only need to shop once a week and those two strategies alone keep my food bill within budget.

I could cut the cable completely, but I'm kinda fond of SciFi and I don't have to cut it from a financial standpoint. The landline is down to the bare minimum. I keep the heat down to 63 during the day and 65 at night. I lump all of my shopping trips into one day on the weekend.

But I drive to work. I drive the kids to school. I pay $5 a day for parking instead of parking a mile away. All three of those items are tied together - I have a slim window of time to drop off the kids in the morning at before care, since I can't leave them here and let them take the bus (too young), otherwise I would take public transportation. Similarly, I can't park a mile away because I wouldn't arrive at work on time or be able to pick up my kids on time after work.

You'd have to pry the occaisonal ice cream from my cold, dead hands.

[dixiegrrrrl]

52. I found a couple of tricks to help the our already thrifty budget..

Last year bought a window air conditioner for the bedroom, turned off the A/c in the rest of the house at night. We can luckily close off different rooms of the house to save A/C or heat. Saves about 50-75.00 a month on
the electric bill.

3 things important to me are computer, music, books.
Swapped house watching/cat feeding duty for a friends's 2003 puter.

I was priding myself on only buying real cheap used books from Amazon,till somebody in DU recommended BookMooch.com, I can get usually new or lightly used books for average cost of 2.50, read them, put them back up on the site to let someone else get them.
Also take advantage in the hot summer of free books online to read.

Have stopped buying cd's, listen to our tv satellite system's music channels, or online music. No big deal.

We never buy processed food and 90% of my grocery shopping is stuff on sale.

Figure we are saving 100-150 a month on various little tricks like above.

[magellan]

167. dixiegrrrrl, I've been wondering if that would work

...putting an a/c window unit in the bedroom to run at night rather than running the central air overnight. The only worry I have about it is doesn't that mean the central air has to work that much harder to cool things off in the morning? (FL, icky humid and hot 24/7 during the summer.)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

183. Bedroom window units are a good idea.

Works well in Texas, high humuggity like you have in Florida.
Keeps the electric bill down at night if you turn off the central air.

[greenbriar]

54. does anyone remember the "tightwad Gazette" ?

it was from a really frugal lady on Donohue or something years ago

[MissB]

62. Amy Dacyczyn - The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Good resource to change one's spending habits, though some of her stuff can be a bit out there.

[Ikonoklast]

73. I remember reading an article written by a single guy

one of the ways he saved money was by washing his dirty socks when he took a shower. He would use them as wash towels, then rinse them out and hang them to dry.

I cringe just remembering that one.

[Miss Carly]

55. more home cooking, but only with foods that are on sale this week

canned food, flour etc I buy extra of when on sale, I have a pretty stocked pantry

[begin_within]

56. Our public library has a pretty good selection of DVDs

[Horse with no Name]

59. Good topic

We have gotten rid of the house phone.
I have purchased ceiling fans and trying to figure out the attic fan that this house has.
Planting a garden.
Considering buying chickens.
I have started buying more generics.
I have switched laundry soap.
Shopping more sales.
Spending more money in thrift shops.
Reselling clothing.
Curtail traveling.


And it still isn't enough.:(

[greenbriar]

60. maybe we will all find new ways to save

with this thread

rec it and keep it front and center

[MissB]

63. I am currently giving away eggs.

We're down to 2 chickens and each produces an egg a day. Three hens gave us 3... and that was wayyyy too much. Through the summer, I'll be giving them away.

Fun animals though, and really simple to raise. I did lose one to a predator recently, though. :(

[NuttyFluffers]

70. do you have CFLBs and an electric kettle?

we found that switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and an electric kettle saved us much money in energy costs.

our gas was rising to needless levels, so we turned the electric kettle so that we'd have a continuously warm cup of water for coffee without wasting gas. used to leave the kettle on low to leave the water warm, so wasteful. electric kettles are often thermally insulated so it is easier to retain heat than metal stove kettles. also they have an auto-shut off so they don't waste more energy than you need to get the water boiling.

and the light bulbs saved so much energy so far. i cannot imagine going back to incandescent bulbs now. pennies on the dollar.

if you are in a really tight budget check your state and regional discounts and local charities for personal alternative energy generation. there's a few around here that will help qualified in-need households to get access to solar tiles, small windmills, sky lights, etc. at cost or free. my family does not qualify, but if you are in trouble it would be a great way to minimize your energy bills.

[logosoco]

61. This is a great thread!

I've always been a pretty frugal person. The only thing I have really changed lately is I am driving much slower. I think it annoys the other people on the road, but, i'm helping them save gas too!!!

A good tip for those new to frugal living:VINEGAR. It is great for general purpose cleaning of just about everything (I use it in laundry and as a rinse agent in the dishwasher). The smell goes away once it dries.

I have noticed a LOT more people getting into cutting expenses and I think it is good for the environment (that's one reason I've always done it) , and i think pretty soon the "big guys" are going to feel it when people aren't spending as much because so much of their incomes are going to big oil. I like to think that this is going to have a good effect on our culture (somehow??)

A really good site for more money saving ideas is frugal village (message boards).

[AZBlue]

151. Baking soda too for cleaning.

It and vinegar are useful in 100s of ways - easy to google "natural cleaning" recipes these days.

[mdmc]

64. thanks for the post

we have done what you have done.

We have also -
Carpool at least one a week and work in our hometown at least once a week.

Recycle bottles while I hike in local parks. (I haven't hit hobo style collections, but thoughts of doing so linger)

We no longer buy water - we have a filter for our tap water.

We have a local discount theater we go to. I actually just got netflix as a gift, so we do the movie thing at home a lot.

Of course I listen to NPR, without tv I rely on www.wamc.org

We do a lot of free activities -
play games and go to the local parks
library
local art galleries
walks along the riverfront
spend time with my nephew and niece
and with friends.
We try to go to church, and to church functions.
I check out the frugal living DU group
We shop at www.aldi.us - this has been the biggest suggestion that I can offer. The local Aldi is the place to go to make your food budget last.


I haven't read through the replies yet. I hope I find something that can help us out. Thanks for the OP :toast:

[greenbriar]

67. you are welcome

hubby, daughter and I have really become quite the monopoly gamers!!!

[mdmc]

119. I never got to read through your replies

:kick: for the read.

[Ronnie]

65. Dollar Stores & House Brands

We found out that two dollar stores (located between us and the supermarket) have many items that we usually buy at about 25-35% less. Also, we've been experimenting with house brands. Some of them aren't bad. Also, we shop with a list and don't go off it. Well, usually we don't.

[trof]

91. Same here. Store brands way cheaper than Dole, Hunt's, etc.

[uppityperson]

68. Combining car trips, eating out less, saving on vwls.

Actually I still mostly use vowels. We have been low outgo for quite some time, cutting back on buying lunches, combining trips in car, planting the full garden this yr rather than 1/2 like last yr, got some chicks to raise for meat as well as eggs, got some chicks of a broody type to incubate eggs for next yr.

[NuttyFluffers]

69. the library as one-stop entertainment center. also shop by mail! :)

often driving ends up costing as much if not more than the shipping and handling. it's so much easier to buy via mail -- something that's been done since the pony express and beyond. for quick math i tall each mile as 50 cents, factoring in wear and tear, insurance, DMV, smog, gas, etc. so a 10 mile round trip easily factors into $10. voila! easy.

also libraries often have intra-library loan systems. this way you can get videos, books, music, magazines, newpapers, etc. through your local library. you'll never be bored again!

i'm currently trying to get into the hobby of making beaded jewelry again. a wonderful way to provide gifts to your relatives. it's amazing how much a handcraft semi-precious piece of jewelry is treasured over everyday store bought jewelry. i got a nice string of semi-precious moonstone that i'm dying to start using for earrings and cuff links.

check your newspaper or city/county website for regional entertainment and events. where i live there's lots of events going on at local parks, community colleges, adult schools, regional preserves, etc. a budget doesn't necessarily mean boring.

[alfredo]

71. More soups, less meat, smaller portions. Meat is just a flavoring, not

the centerpiece. Servings no bigger than the palm of my hand when we just want some meat.


Beans and rice.

Less driving, less eating out, less toys. Turn lights out.

[greenbriar]

72. we do a lot of casseroles. They go farther

I used to make lasagna and home made strogonoff once a week, now it is more like once a month


we do a lot more cheaper meals like Sheperds Pie...1 lb of hamburger, one can of cream style corn, some mashed potatos and sliced cheese. layer it with the cheese on top bake it and boom... Great meal, cheap and fast

[bdamomma]

74. read this article

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Greed_behind_food_price_rises_devel_05062008.html

Greed behind food price rises: development bank head

[bdamomma]

75. kick

[greenbriar]

76. thanks

one more rec??

[Triana]

77. I quit driving anywhere out of town...

...even for social events or entertainment. I only put $10 of gas in my car at one time and I stay local.

[tavalon]

79. I've been relying less on convenience foods

More generics are being used and tonight my lovers are going out without me to see Iron Man at the Cinerama because if I go with them, we have to pay a babysitter, so we're saving close to $100.00 that way. I've been riding the bus twice a week, though it doesn't actually save any money but it gives me karma points so that's good. I've been making a lot of bean soups lately, for sure.

I'm doing some overtime at work too.

[nichomachus]

81. I got rid of landline but have Internet phone

I can use the Internet phone for long distance calls -- which I need to make -- instead of using cell minutes. This allows me to get a cheaper cell plan. Also, whenever I'm home, I just forward my cell to my Internet phone, so cell phone calls come in on the Vonage line.

I also use Skype to call friends who have it -- Skpye to Skype calls are free, so you can even make international calls.

[Marrah_G]

82. Here are a few things

For the last year or so I have bought nothing that wasn't on sale and I do all my shopping on my way home from work. Now I am also shopping with coupons and matching coupons to sales. I spent 83.00 this week after saving about 64.00. Not to bad. Takes alot of planning and means stopping at multiple stores.

This fall I will be getting a second job to pay for heat.

[End Of The Road]

83. We dusted off our old (little used) bread machine

and now make bread regularly. Saves a little money, but mostly it's just fun.

[dawgman]

85. cut back on random errands now planning better

Combined house and auto insurance.

Paid down our debt.

Re-financed the house to a lower interest rate.

Dropped vision insurance as I am the only one in the family that uses it and have current prescriptions.

Filed a new W2 with more exemptions.

Stopped buying cereal and other essentially useless foods.

Re-packaged the cable, phone and internet bill to a lower monthly payment.

Started having the child take the bus instead of being driven.

Keeping the house cooler.

Using power (washing/drying clothes and dishes) at night.

Actually started clipping coupons.

Shopping for the 21 month old strictly at 2nd hand shops.

On edit: Not going out to dinner nearly as often.

[crispini]

86. I used to go out to eat all the time. Now, very rarely.

I have second thoughts about longer trips (gas) and sometimes reconsider.

I've started clothes shopping at the secondhand store almost exclusively. :)

Thanks for the other suggestions. Good food for thought!

[smoogatz]

87. The best thing we ever did to save money was pay off our credit cards.

We now use debit cards almost exclusively, and only keep one cc for emergencies, occasional car rentals and hotels that don't take debits. We pay the balance on that cc (a pretty good rewards card) on time, every time, even if it takes a big bite out of our ready cash supply. There's no bigger waste of money, IMO, than paying usurious rates of 13-20-some percent to Citibank and getting only the privilege of more debt in return.

Other stuff:

We buy in bulk (Costco) whenever we can on household items like TP, paper towels, detergents and cleaning supplies.
We have a small chest freezer and buy a quarter beef (organic, local, grass-fed—yum!) every year; much cheaper than buying individual cuts.
We buy wine by the case at substantial savings; we no longer buy any wine that's more than, say, $9 a bottle.
We have only super-basic cable at $12.95/month.
We have the cheapest available cell-phone service, and never even come close to going over our minutes.
We shop aggressively for the best deals on everything from cars to furniture to phone/cable/internet service—it's amazing how much you can save if you have even the most basic negotitating skills.
We invested in dense-pack cellulose insulation and a HE furnace; we heat our 3200 sq ft house in central Wisconsin for less than $300/month.
We bought a house that's a five-minute walk from work for both of us, so we drive maybe a few thousand miles a year. Our cost-of-ownership on both vehicles is minimal. We're thinking of cutting back to one car (mini-van) in the next year or so.
We have little kids, so we basically never go out.
We almost never buy anything on impulse; shopping is not a form of recreation in our household.
We're willing to spend a bit of money to save substantial sums down the road: I realize this is a financial impossibility for a lot of people, and a difficult cognitive leap for others. But if you can manage some of this stuff—credit cards, making your home more efficient, buying in bulk, reducing your commute, etc.—you'd be crazy not to do it.

On edit: I've also cut back considerably on my personal discretionary spending. I have a bit of a guitar gear addiction, but I'm holding off on major new purchases for the forseeable future.

[progressoid]

88. I was just talking to someone about finding thrifty way to save.

A lot of America is in for a rude awakening soon.

If you have a spare hour, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

[starroute]

89. Get food at the warehouse outlet/discount grocery

There are a number of places like that around here, and you can get not only perfectly good dented cans and crumpled boxes, but also some really interesting gourmet items that wound up as overstocks.

They also carry chicken and pork that got up to its sell-by date and was then frozen. Perfectly safe, and any loss in flavor is not apparent by the time I've worked some stir-fry magic on it.

[Sancho]

90. We didn't get laid off! I really feel sorry for some who have lost jobs here.

No vacation - just a short visit to grandma's.

We stopped eating out and started buying in bulk at SAMS and Costco.

We were able to refinance the house at a lower interest rate! (good thing, but it didn't make up for the insurance cost increases in Florida)

I have a very old Nissan pickup with a 4-cylinder (150,000 miles). It's pretty uncomfortable, but now I've parked the Pontiac in the garage because of the gas milage.

This summer, we're going to do some exterior painting and yard work ourselves instead of hiring someone else. That may seem simple, but Florida in the summer for those "over 50" is brutal. What a way to spend a vacation!

[MadinMo]

92. We are eating at home more

and eating less meat, much to my son's dismay. But my vegetarian daughter loves it.

Driving less and more conservatively, growing a huge garden for eating out of fresh and preserving (canned/frozen/dried).

Haven't cut out anything major, although I have let a few magazine subscriptons lapse.

Take my lunch to work more often.

Rarely use the dryer (but we have always done this).

Time showers for the kids --- 10 mins each, if we can browbeat them into that time frame. I am getting very good at a short short shower, less than 5 mins.

We plan to NOT use the a/c this summer until it is horrible (100s).

Planning a "summer kitchen" outside the house for canning and cooking in the hot months --- no added heat to the house.

I shop for nearly all my own clothes at Salvation army. You can get great deals on nice stuff. I also pick up paperback books there for 25 cents.

Kids take the bus to school --- they hate it, but somethings you gotta do.

[rubberducky]

93. Major housecleaning to get rid of all excess "stuff".

Selling off excess furniture,knick-knacks, and clothes. What isn`t NEEDED or exceedingly pleasant to the eye will GO. I have a bad habit of cooking like I`m cooking for an army of people, but this has come in handy with my freezer. We could very easily eat out of the freezer for at least a month on meals that I have frozen. I buy food on sale or large amounts from Costco and cook like I have to feed 50 people instead of 2. Love to read and my local library has become my best friend. We have learned to live the thermostat set at 62 in winter (mostly due to this menapausal old lady, but hubby makes the best of it). I only turn on the window air-conditioners if the temps hit high 80`s. I`m also putting in a garden for the first time in about 30 years! All of our car washes and detailing we now do in our driveway ourselves. We now do our own lawn care. Hubby and I are now learning the "joy of crafts". I think many people will be re-thinking what is really NEEDED to survive.

[Fumesucker]

95. Got rid of cable/satellite..

All our TV comes over the DSL broadband now.. Just about all the popular shows can be seen online and for less than the price of a month of basic cable or satellite you can buy a scan converter that will adapt just about any TV to just about any computer.

http://www.grandtec.com/products/video/xppro.html

These are available on ebay very inexpensively.

Bittorrent allows for the downloading of a huge number of movies and shows for entertainment, all for free.. Personally I use Bitcomet for a Bittorrent client, Bitcomet has a setting which allows you to forgo port forwarding, something I never could get to work.

http://www.bitcomet.com/

I like Piratebay.org for a Bittorrent search engine.

http://thepiratebay.org/

Slowed down our driving speeds, started practicing basic hypermiling techniques.. Bought a more efficient car before the gas prices truly took off through the roof.. Efficient cars are fetching premium prices now.

Eating out a lot less often.

Use a small window AC unit in the bedroom for sleeping, shut off our whole house AC and probably won't use it until the very hottest days of August.. It saved us a ton of money on electricity last year.

[Sheets of Easter]

97. Honestly- nothing.

Six years later, I'm still trying to recover from the last "recession." I'm tired of making concessions. If I want something, I'll get it. I was never that frivolous to begin with.

One thing I am trying to do, though, is become more efficient and "greener," as well as learning various DIY projects and ways to repurpose things that would otherwise be considered trash.

[napi21]

98. Cook everything from scratch, drive 50 mph or less, only drive somewhere

if it's absolutely necessary, clip coupons, almost never buy beef, sell unnecessary items on ebay, replaced all light bulbs with the energy saver ones, charge everything on my money back credit card and pay it off every month, use an online phone card to get long distance calls to Italy for 2.5¢ a min., do all car maintenance at home, use the back of all my computer printouts for scratch paper as well as the blank back of printed junk mail (haven't bought note pads for years now), buy store brand groceries & laundry supplies, make my own snacks from generic brand Chex cereals.

[taterguy]

100. I hope you're kidding about the 50 mph thing

Traveling at a significantly lower speed than prevailing traffic creates a major safety hazard.

I should know.

I ride a bicycle on the streets all the time. :)

[napi21]

114. Most of my driving is during non-peak time so there's not much

traffic. I know what you mean about trying to drive slower than everyone else during a rush hour. You really CAN'T! I give you a lot of cudos for riding a bike in heavy traffic! I wouldn't take that risk! My son rides his motorcycle to work and it worries me to death! He travels I85 in Atlanta, and although I don't know where you are, I85 has a National reputation for being one of the worst roads to travel in the US. Forrtunately, I don't have to travel on it very often.

[Zywiec]

99. We're no longer eating Beluga caviar and are going with the domestic n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

115. ...

:evilgrin:

[delt664]

103. #1 is no unecessary driving.

I used to commute on a motorcycle, it got about 50 MPG and was fun as hell to boot!. Some asshole wrecked and took me out with him, so now i'm stuck with my gas guzzling truck. Its paid off, so its not worth getting a new car...yet. I just dont drive unless I absolutely have to. I think im down to about 8 gallons a week.

Pretty much no more going out for dinner unless it a cheapo place. I cook every night, and only buy groceries for one day at a time.

No more going out. I'm a party guy, there is nothing I like more than going out drinking with my friends and chasing women. Booze was the first luxury I cut, and courting was not far behind.

No more concerts. I love music, and cringe every time I hear a new concert announcement because I know I dont have 40 bucks to shell out to go see my favorite bands.

[poppysgal]

104. A lot more walking

baking my bread, buying bulk and using my "food saver", using grocery store bags for trash cans,cutting out junk food, burning wood, planting a garden, staying home a lot more.:hi:

[SexiJesi23]

105. We don't do anything but the basics it sucks n/t

[ceile]

106. Buy in large quantities (meat)

cook it all on the grill on Sunday and eat on it all week. I also use the bones to make stocks and freeze them for sauces and flavoring later on. Lots of soup and pasta. Quit buying coffee beans, buy only store brands for canned goods and cleaning products. Walk to the grocery store (also keeps me from spending too much because I don't want to carry it all home).

[greenbriar]

107. good idea

.

[dweller]

109. all great ideas, i have only one to add

get a water heater timer. Available at most home improvement outlets, easy to install if you know the simplest about wiring. Just cut off the main power in your home to install, electric water heaters are 220V, so you don't want to make a mistake in wiring. Instructions are included w/ the timers, it's only cutting one wire, and hooking the cut wires into the timer. You program the timer to come on and go off w/ pegs on a 24hr wheel, pegs included for up to 4 timesets.

Set the timer a little ahead of when you have to take showers (morning/night) or will be home for the need for hot water. There is a manual override switch that you can use to start up the heating at any time. Wash clothes, dishes, etc at the times when hot water is available. You'll adjust to the schedule.

-Insulate your tank w/ a water heater blanket, again available at most home imp. stores.

Why heat water when you are away from home? Mine runs a total of 6 hrs a day, 3 in the morning, 3 at nite, compared to 24. Never had to worry about a cold shower (use the manual override button in off-times) even in the winter due to the tank blankie. Even in the coldest winter months when the timer is off, the hot water is at least warm in the holding stage, and heats up quickly enough.

when i installed mine many yrs ago, it was only about $20 for the unit, and even if it's doubled now, would pay for itself in a few short months.


also, just for grins: those of you with the supplied electric meters that spin and use little clock face dials to measure your elect. usage- watch the meter sometime as you turn on/off appliances. Note how fast it spins once a water heater is on... and how it crawls when it's off. (you can use the water heater timer to turn on/off the water heater to test) :)


Rec! & bookmarking this thread, it will be gone a week from now from the Greatest Page, but i'll check back for more tips.
dp

[MrSlayer]

111. Not a whole lot. I don't own a car because I don't need one.

So gas prices have not effected me at all. I have a good union job and I live within my means for the most part. I'm ok so far.

[JCMach1]

113. nothing, I live in a country that actually has an economy

[Ronnie]

117. Based on

[JCMach1]

118. Founded on yes... less than 50% of GDP is oil now

I seem to remember that another country (the US) also had a huge advantage with that product at the beginning of the 20th century that was also used to leverage the overall economy...

The 20th century American empire was built on Oil...

[SammyWinstonJack]

116. And yet georgee's base, the haves and have mores aren't cutting back are they?

EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this Country whether democrat or republican who is being forced to cut back so
they can buy gas and groceries, should DEMAND that their congress critters not only NOT make his obscene tax breaks for the wealthiest among us permanent, but RESCIND THEM AS WELL! TAX THE RICH! And that includes the GREEDY CORPS who are reporting record profits ON THE BACKS OF THE WORKING CLASS!

[annonymous]

120. I only buy beer and wine for special occasions.

I use a calling card for long distance calls rather than a long distance plan from the phone company. My family switched from cable to satellite TV. We use the library instead of buying books. I try to combine trips when driving. I limit the amount of convenience food I buy. We buy most of our clothes from thrift stores.

[eleny]

123. I hope DUers continue to share their ideas in the months & years ahead

The DU Frugal forum ---> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=353

:hi:

[greenbriar]

124. cool.

didn't know that existed

thanks

[eleny]

125. Thanks for starting this thread

In other words - :kick:
:D

[jmowreader]

126. I quit my second job, and I'm making more money than ever before!

I'm the only person at my primary job who does what I do, so they want me to work LOTS of hours.

Before I quit my second job, I worked Monday through Friday at my main job, and Saturday and Sunday at my second job. Now, I work Monday through Saturday at my job, get Sundays off, and my ONE paycheck is at least $100 heavier than BOTH of my checks were before!

That, and not increasing my spending rate, has caused me to have an extra $200 per pay period which I stick in the bank.

This isn't something everyone can do, but it works for me.

[Vinca]

127. We enlarged our garden by a third. Veggies are the largest

chunk of our food budget. I started it earlier and hope to keep it going later. Now . . . if only I could grow citrus in New Hampshire.

[BensMom]

128. We have "day old" bread stores

These nifty shops have all sorts of breads, canned goods and cereals.

Great bread for toast, garlic bread etc.

[poebango]

129. No more TP

I'm just going to walk around wearing cloth diapers!:+

[greenbriar]

130. this is a serious discussion

not some smart ass answer you dope

[poebango]

140. I'm sorry

I didn't know humor wasn't allowed on DU. But, evidently, I can see that name-calling is allowed. Thank you for the lesson in the correct DU behavior.

[PeaceNikki]

142. Wow. What a gracious and polite response.

I know you're a teacher, but this thread is not your classroom and DUer's are (thankfully) not your students.

[poebango]

144. Thanks PeaceNikki

I shouldn't have let his comment get to me, but it did. I've been a huge DU reader for years. My (ridiculously thin-skinned) fear of his kind of nasty comment is the reason I was always reticent to participate. I seriously care about pretty much everything. Occasionally, I need a little levity. Thank you -- you're the kind of person that makes me want to stay and participate :hi:

[PeaceNikki]

145. As you probably know, jokes, goofery and smart-ass are the norm here.

Please don't let nasty comments get to you.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Digit]

133. I am frugal by nature, but am now buying store brands more....plus

I don't have cable
I already changed out my lightbulbs for the energy effecient type, inside and outside.
I clip coupons
If I have to buy at Kroger, I buy on senior day which gives me a discount.
I check out the meat which has been marked down and buy it if it is a good deal.
I brownbag my lunch for work
I joined Costco at the Women's Show, which gave me a huge discount on membership.
It will also save me money on prescriptions.
I cook homemade meals, so no need to buy fast food, and make enough for leftovers.
A batch of spaghetti can last a long time, and is cheap to make.
I quit getting haircuts (had short hair), now it is getting long, so bye-bye hairdresser.
I vary my shopping so I get better deals. Trader Joes is saving me money on certain things.
I have sold some things on Craigslist.org that I could do without.
Also, things I have wanted/needed, I am finding on Craigslist.
I also have some junk gold which I will be selling.
I also changed my exemptions on my taxes to claim myself. Lord knows I need the money now since sales are way down.

Oh, and I changed jobs a year ago, so instead of driving 21 miles each way, I am only driving 6.

[AZBlue]

134. Kick!

Great thread - can't think of anything that hasn't been already mentioned, but if I do, I'll add it.

[mdmc]

135. This thread has many good ideas for saving money and reducing waste

:kick:

[pitohui]

136. i've never had cable, ice cream, or any unnuecessary crap like that, nothing to give up

recently i've skipped meals if that's what you mean

ice cream? i haven't bought ice cream since the 1970s

never had cable

the list goes on

at least you people had a time in your life when you were so wealthy you could have these little extras

i never buy chips either but i have a friend who has given up eating dinner for years really who does eat chips -- broken outdated ones from the salvage store -- and that's her dinner

i'm really getting depressed now, we have nothing more to give up

[mdmc]

141. hang in there my brother

:pals:

[Vidar]

137. I quit driving 4 years ago--a choice between heating the house or gas & insurance

for the car.

[DesertRat]

139. We're growing a nice vegetable garden

I use coupons, buy in bulk and stock up when items are on sale. I'm cooking at home a lot more and taking leftovers to work for lunch.

I also love garage sales and thrift store shopping. :)

[pleah]

143. We only go to the grocery store once every two weeks.

We by instant dry milk and just make it as we need it. We used to buy 3 gallons a week. We buy in bulk at Sam's Club. I transfer most everything to glass or plastic containers. Lots of beans, flour, rice and pasta. I always try to come up with new ways to use leftovers. We only eat out on special occasions. I have expanded my garden to grow more veggies, also. My tomatoes should be getting ripe at the end of this month! Yum.

[sandsavage]

146. Maybe help out others

if possible? We are senior citizens, frugal by nature. It is the way we were raised. We have a large chunk of land. Also a huge garden area. Of course we could not ever with just the two of us use that whole area. Pretty darned impossible to buy a pack of garden seeds for just two old people. So what we are planning to do is this. There are a couple of young families that do not have room to plant a garden or the knowledge of canning or freezing. They are having a hard time of it, so money is a factor too. We are going to plant that whole space to share with them. Hubby and I love fooling with a garden and it will bless us to do this. Our luxury is feeding the birds. Plan on planting a huge space with sunflowers and corn. That will save us a bunch of $$ on bird seed this winter.The corn and sunflower heads dry nicely. We have done this before but not on a huge scale. We start our own plants so the cost is small, on all the garden plants.

We raised seven children. Always canned up everything. I'm sure that lots of older folks have 3 or 4 big old pressure cookers and canning jars up to ying yang, just waiting to be shared.

We are pretty much self sufficient. Old hippy type people?? Several old timers around here just put out the extra by the road come Fall and stick a sign up. Help yourself. Karma is a wonderful thing.

[mdmc]

147. welcome to du

peace and low stress

[AZBlue]

153. A belated welcome to DU!

:hi:

[mdmc]

156. kick

:hi:

[Heather MC]

148. We cut back years ago the raising gas prices are not hurting us so much b/c

I stopped working, daycare was $350.00 a week I could not afford to work and do daycare.
I only shop on the outter isles of the grocery store, My husband got rid of his gas guzzling F150 for econ car.

Fortunately in 2001 we made the decision to buy a house near his job and mine, at the time, b/c we hated communiting. IN the DC area driving is a nightmare.
My DH RUNs to work for PT.

and I did start cooking more, DH is loving that, the kids not so much LOL

And we decided not to get caught up in needing the latest hightech things, and we NEVER use Credit Cards EVER
My father told me they were evil I believe him.

I only grocery shop at the commissary and I always make a list.
Oh and a friend gave me an extra Freezer which helps us to keep a nice stock of food on hand at all times

And FreeCycle and Craigslist and thrift stores are my best friends

[Ilsa]

149. I bought a solar clothes dryer for $1.00. Most of our clothes

go out on the clothes line now. We are already getting temps in the 90s here and it is humid, so we need some AC during the day. Hanging out the clothes means the house doesn't get heated up by the dryer, and we save on gas expense by not running the dryer. Sheet smell wonderful after they've been out on the line.

[taught_me_patience]

154. I'm a (well off)single guy but there is suprisingly a lot I do

1) definately out eat less. This is the number 1 thing that saves money in my book.
2) do my own car washes.
3) stop buying soda at fast food places.
4) stop buying soda at work.
5) buy less books.
6) cut back on buying so much shoes and clothes.
7) only one ski trip this year.
8) less eyebrow threading (only go once every other month now). pluck to maintain.
9) buy cleaning agents at biglots!
10) stopped buying porn.
11) stopped buying electrical gadget crap I don't need. (my cell phone is going on 3.5 years)
12) go to donut shop on weekends for coffee instead of starbucks.

[mdmc]

155. kicking

:toast:

[KelleyKramer]

157. Save on food costs...

Dont eat out. Cook your meals and brown bag lunch for work.

Learn where to shop for the cheapest food items-- its kind of a pain at first but you will learn it to be second nature... the dollar store is very cheap for condiments like mustard, pickles, spices, ect.

I hardly ever buy meat unless its on sale.. if something is a really good deal i buy 3-4 extra packs and throw them in the freezer.

You'd be surprised how much you can save by shopping different stores for different items.. and before shopping always scan the sale papers for any items you will probably buy in the next few weeks.

Grow a garden, its saves money, encourages you to cook more, and if you havent done it before you'll be shocked how much better it tastes

[mdmc]

171. kicking

more good stuff since I last kicked:kick:

[KelleyKramer]

158. Some helpful websites ....

http://www.thriftyfun.com/

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/

http://www.miserlymoms.com/index.htm

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/category/recipes/three_dollars/

[lovuian]

159. using the most gas efficient car we have for errands

and combining trips
Staying Home and walking and biking

[mdmc]

160. kick

[yorkiemommie1]

163. 99cent store

I get a lot of great produce as well as other items there. At regular supermarkets I head to the back where the clearance rack is....something I NEVER did before.

No more magazine renewals.

Other than that, not much more since we are very frugal anyway.

[unsavedtrash]

164. several things

Like you- no extra cable, planning menus and sticking with the needed items at the grocery store.

Put netflixs account on hold

No take out coffee's or cokes. Pretty much tea, water, coffee (at home), and gator aide (we bought a big container of the mix)

No eating out

Using the Dollar Store for everything possible.

Not as much meat.

Eating from the garden or at the least, the produce stand.

A LOT of beans.

Currently considering doing away with cells and using vonage.

Using my Miata for most of the running. We would share rides to work but our hours don't correspond enough.

We take our lunches instead of eating out or from machines.

No air conditioning. We have an attic fan so no problem.

We only turned the heat on this winter when the inside temp got below freezing.

[magellan]

168. Oops, wrong place - delete

[lib2DaBone]

165. A few things.....

Canceled Cable. No more O'Reilly or Tim Russert. No religious/no shopping channels.(The mainstay of Comcast Cable. Comcast SUCKS big time) Shop at the Farmers Market and get my food at the "SHARE" program at my local church. Never eat out. Combine all auto trips into one trip when absolutely necessary. Canceled all magazine and club subscriptions. Learning to do home-brew beer. Roll my own cigarettes, although this should stop. A habit I can do without.


Bud Fields and his family. Alabama. 1935 or 1936. Photographer: Walker Evans.

[rainbow4321]

166. Tips on pumping gas

From an email I got:


Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the
ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations
have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground
the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so
buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not
exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and
the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other
petroleum products play an important role.


A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the
service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a
fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three
(3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on
low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are
pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are
pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank
becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the
underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.


One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF
FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in
your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates
faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal
floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and
the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service
stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature
compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.


Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage
tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline
is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick
up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will
help you get the most value for your money.

[magellan]

169. Make some of your own cleaners, and other tips

These two I found on the internet.

All-Purpose Cleaner
Into a 16oz spray bottle:

2T vinegar
1 tsp Borax
Hot water, enough to mix with the vinegar and Borax so the latter dissolves
a few drops of a mild dish detergent
10 drops of essential oil, optional (I use lilac or tea tree oil)

Glass Cleaner
Into the old Windex bottle:

½ tsp mild dish detergent
3T vinegar
2 cups water

Other savers:

• Cut back on laundry detergent by throwing some Borax in; it's the original detergent booster.
  
• Instead of buying air fresheners (especially the plug in kind -- energy waster), get some nice small bowls, fill them about 3/4 full with baking soda, and add several drops of essential oil for scent. Change every month or so.
  
• Use a fan in conjunction with a/c instead of turning the a/c down more when it's hot. Ceiling fans are best, but table or personal fans work well too. Remember to turn them off when you leave the area; they don't cool the air used this way, just you.
  
• Be creative and try fixing your broken stuff instead of buying replacements! For example, when the power button broke off our little tv, I rigged a new one with a plastic cap and some glue. And I just fixed my husband's chest of drawers -- the carcass had bowed and the drawers kept coming off their tracks, making it little more useful than something to pile clean laundry on. I took the tracks off and added washers behind them, and the drawers fit perfectly again.
  
• Wind-up flashlights!
  
• Have a printer? Refill the cartridges yourself. A little messy till you get the hang of it, but cheaper than buying new cartridges all the time. I use Inksell.com and have always been happy with them.
  
• Not to promote smoking, but if you're a smoker, roll your own.
  
• Mend your own clothes, or make them yourself if you can. You can even darn socks instead of throwing them away when they get a hole. Video how-to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nY1jTVyBE0
  
• Tea tree oil is a great topical antiseptic. A little goes a long way. It can also be used in the All-Purpose Cleaner above.
  

[and-justice-for-all]

170. Have no landline phone...

use cells only.
Planted a garden with some friends.
Made adjustments to what we buy at the store.

[fortyfeetunder]

172. Working on frugality

Using rechargeable batteries.
Costco for staples,
Growing tomatoes, and lettuce this summer.
No unnecessary car rides, group as many in one trip
Alternate work schedule/working on a telecommuting schedule -- do they really need to see me proofread and edit a document?

[Liberty Belle]

173. No dry-cleaning; wearing washable clothes only.

Carpooling wherever possible.

I didn't go to a conference I'd wanted to attend.

We're shopping more at second hand stores and garage sales.

More home-cooked meals, less food out.

Eating more home-grown fruits and veggies.

More meatless meals.

We joined a food co-op to get healthy foods for less.

Unfortunately making less political donations this election than last.

[mdmc]

174. more good ideas.

[Ahpook]

175. I have been doing a bit of handyman work to make the difference up

This is not an answer, i am sure?

It helps me though:(

[greenbriar]

178. would you have to do this normally, or do you need it to survive?

it counts~~

[Ahpook]

179. Of course it matters

I do this for the added expenses i have as of late. I'm sure it's the same for many others?

You know, i have something running through my brain lately. With everything i see and understand about this country, i am still here.

I am not quite sure who is more a fool? Me or those fools who sit back and suck popsicles all day thinking everything is cool.

[LucyParsons]

176. As a 28 year old with massive college debt

Who walks to work, has no landline or cable or internet at home, and is vegan:

No, I haven't changed anything. Dunno what to cut next - food altogether, perhaps.

[crispini]

177. I have cut back to the bare minimum

No un-necessary fun shopping, no more books, clothes, "stuff" ordered over the internet. None.
Only real food, no processed food.
No more cable.
Only minimum services on the phone.
Keep AC at 78 (that's as high as I can stand)
Planted a garden
Plan to start cycling short trips, i.e. shopping.

I'll have to start doing that 'unplug things when you leave the room' trick.
Also, I plan to get a housemate soon.

[madokie]

184. I was doing something about my carbon footprint way back when I hadn't even heard of the phrase yet

Yep back before it was even cool. 16 years of Wood pellets for heat, more energy efficient appliances, cfl's, very little driving. Conservation and cfl's and the rest I mentioned has lowered our average electric bill by close to 50 bucks a month from the late '90s cost. The next project is a high efficiency heat pump to save even more. Plus my wife is wanting an EV or at the very least a hybrid so we're in the look for one of those. We're total electric except for wood pellet heat and our bill is running at an average of around 70 bucks a month year round. WE pay $.08 per kWh. Our total driving is less than 50 miles a week so it would not be cost effective to go EV or hybrid for the money alone, only for the less of a carbon footprint is it. We eat good as I cook during the day while I'm home which is most days. Our son and his family is our next door neighbor so we are able to share in not only the cooking but also in all the tool etc. for maintaining a home. My wife is a nurse and her commute is a mile each way.

[mdmc]

187. kick

[galledgoblin]

188. nothing, I don't live in the burbs and don't need a car

the "crisis" will require major shifts in our national lifestyle, but really, it's easy to fix.

if the system had been maintained properly, the only people feeling any pinch from high gas prices would be farmers and other rural dwellers.

[mdmc]

189. sounds like an easy transition

:shrug:

[Rosemary2205]

190. Yeah, who gives a shit about farmers.

:) -- all snark aside. I'd love to be able to afford to live urban and carless and be able to rely on power wheelchair accessible public transport.

[mdmc]

192. I see a future in regional farms

farming pre-new deal.

[mdmc]

193. kick

for prosperity

[nadinbrzezinski]

195. Got a bike, the truck will not mostly stay parked

and I bike and my hubby takes hybrid to work

[alfredo]

196. Became a republican. Now the money is rolling in.

Next month I get to choose between a trophy wife or a mistress.

gee, I never thought it would be so good.

Buying a Senator wasn't that hard. They take American Express, and shipping is free.

[mdmc]

197. kick

to see if others have anything to add

[mdmc]

198. kick

:toast: