A few tips on saving bucks ($$$)

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Freedom! self reliance : One Thread

OK folks lets get down to it. We need to save Money. Here are few suggestions. Please add yours.

(1)Plan each trip so that you accomplish 2 or more errands each trip.

(2)Buy your Gas either early morning or late afternoon when its cooler.

(3)Buy in bulk and ration it out.

(4)Use everything and cut down on disposable trash.

(5)Buy clothes from Goodwill and Thrift stores.

(6)Yard Sale hunt when possible.

(7)Trade off the gas guzzler for a miser. (Yuck)

(8)(This one hurts) If your really hurting for funds its time to downsize on dogs, cats etc. If you can’t eat it think about giving it a new home.

(9)Use less electricity.

(10)Speaking of downsizing. If you have 2 phone lines. (well 1’s gotta go) Then there’s all them nice extra’s on the phone. Call waiting (gone)Speed dialing (poof) It’ll hurt but it’ll save ya bucks over time.

(11) Time to tighten up the belt and quit eating out at fast food joints. (I saw in a survey that a typical family spends 40% on junk fast food)

(12) Here’s a sure fire winner QUIT SMOKING. If you’re a smoker now is the time to quit. With tobacco prices soaring, Save the$$$$$$.

(13) Then there are those that drink soft drinks. Need I remind you that Coke & Pepsi are multi-billion dollar companies? (My wife quit sodas all together, me and the kid are weaning ourselves). Some will save $100’s by quitting Soda’s.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), April 26, 2001

Answers

I do most of those things, but I still have too many dogs, and couldn't pick which one should be the loser of the doggie lottery they won by showing up here. That isn't a decision I care to make, thanks.

Also, I guess since I don't eat meat I kind of have to disagree with the "eat it" or it goes philosophy. Poop is really quite valuable. (Not dog or cat, but rabbits, chickens, goats, cattle, you know), so as a general rule it's good, but specifically, I see exceptions.

Here's a good one I'd like to add, since I seem to be banging this "meat" drum, two days per week eat no meat. If you aren't growing your own it will save you money. I am NOT against you all eating meat, but it sure is expensive, so it might save you a bit if you made a burrito bake casserole or something a few times a week.jat(just a thought)

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), April 26, 2001.


Foraging is an excellent way to save money. You can start with chickweed(Mr) and go all the way through persimmons(Nv) here, (probably others that I don't know about.)Berries, dandylion, poke, etc. Not just saves $, but is good exercise and fresh air and nutrititious. Grow your own herbs, buy empty capsules through a co=op, put them together and save $

Bartering. I once barter babysitting for a dishwasher and child' bike. I was getting gallon size jars ( from a friend with a pizza shop) and bartered for fresh milk.

Take charge of you health, herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic, eating natrally, etc. all saves money in the long run, and you feel better, too.

AND TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS!!!!!!!!:~]

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 27, 2001.


I guess my best money saving tips are, first, limit those trips to town. If I go once a week, I spend a lot less total than if I make two. During the week, if I notice I am running low on something, I add it to the list, which I try to stick to. Also is much cheaper to go alone;) (But if you need to take children, you can always point out that "it's not on the list this time";) Second, if you have a mortgage, you can save a *ton* of money over the life of the loan by doubling the principal amount of your payment each month. (Not as much as you might think). Look at your amortization schedule, and add to your payment the principal only that would be due on your next payment. Mark that payment off with the payment you are making, and you have effectively skipped all the interest you would have paid that payment. Don't ever pay more interest than you have to. Our house mortgage is the only thing we pay interest on. We do use a card, but pay it off monthly so that it does not accrue interest. If you pay interest on a credit card, you end up paying way more than the items were ever worth. And, of course, we seldom buy new clothes. Who needs to (often, at least) with people practically giving them away at yard sales, often never or seldom having worn them. Since we are "Mormons", we are not tempted by coffee, tea,alcohol, or tobacco(there's a savings;). We also just don't care too much for sodas, and seldom buy them. Junk food is a bit of a problem;) but we try to limit it at least a little by making fewer trips to the store. Once it's gone, you gotta wait til next trip;) Great thread, Kenneth. mary

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 27, 2001.

Good list Ken!Doreen I bet you are learning what "dog poor" means.A lot of city types don't understand that particular type of poverty.I'm cat,llama,goat,parrot,emu,chicken,chinchilla,duck,goose,rabbit,fish poor but not dog poor yet.Also there is the welfare program that we seem to run for the skunks,possums,raccoons,pine martins,stray cats,black bear,deer,turkeys and what ever else shows up for a hand out around feeding time.I figure if I'm ever called on to build an ark I'll be ahead of the game.Just throw the food dish through the hatch way and watch the stampede.

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), April 27, 2001.

Don't forget all the lovely "resaleable" stuff other people put out as trash. I'll be having a yard sale soon with lots of stuff I got off the curb. I've got a few decent pieces of furniture, lots of books, it's amazing what some folks leave behind when they skip out on their rent in the middle of the night! Landlords put it all out on the curb!

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), April 28, 2001.


1. If you have leftovers that are not enough to put out again, dump them into a plastic container and store them in the freezer until next time you make soup. That will often give you a free gallon of soup each month.

2. Mend things promptly. When they are first beginning to tear or wear through, it is easier to mend them neatly and have the stitches show less.

3. Before throwing anything out, ask yourself this: Do I have another use for it? Can I store things in it? Can I remake it into something else? Will it substitute for something I have to lay out more cash for? (plastic bags as trash bags, etc.)

4. If you decide to throw away old clothing, always cut the buttons off first, as well as any trim that may be used again.

5. If you have little bitty dogs, mens old socks with the heel or toe worn out will make a sweater for the dog. May look funny, but it works and is free.

6. Research herbal medicines and experiment to see which ones might work for you to replace expensive prescription meds. Feverfew works great for my son's migraines. One capsule each day keeps them away. Feverfew is about $6/90 capsules.

7. If you don't know how to sew, this is a good time to learn. With the more detailed patterns, and simpler garment construction that is common today, it isn't very hard.

8. Consider buying old books on agriculture and cooking and sewing instead of the new, shiny ones. The old ones are often $2 or less, which is a tremendous savings compared to the new ones that are $20 or more. Also, the older ones have a tendency to be more oriented to the idea of using what is most economical or using what you already have on hand instead of making umpteen trips to the garden center, buying high priced ingredients, or using the more expensive sewing "aids" that really don't save much time in the long run.

9. Never throw out old nylons. They can be used to make new chair bottoms instead of the expensive recaning, used to tie up plants, put on under socks in very cold weather for more insulation, used to store onions, garlic, etc.

10. Dry your purchased soap before using, if possible. It will last at least twice as long, and you still get clean. Unwrap it and put it on a shelf for a month or so, or if you don't have the shelf space, tie it in the old nylons mentioned above and hang it in a closet. You can tie several bars into a stocking and dry them all at once.

11. Buy shampoo in gallon containers, then pour it off into smaller containers. You can even dilute it with a little water if you'd like when you put it into the small bottles. It will still clean the hair, and actually lathers better, faster than the undiluted.

12. When shopping, if you find items on sale that you normally use, buy some even if you don't need it right now. Build up a back log of these items so that you can buy them only when they are on sale. This saves a tremendous amount of money, especially on the grocery bill. When the garden didn't do well, I usually buy canned corn, beans, peas, etc. when they go on sale in late summer. I buy them by the case then, and put them in the storage shed. We eat them all winter that way, usually for about 33 cents/can. We always have them available also, so there are fewer trips to town.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), April 29, 2001.


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