# Need suggestions on cutting back / $$



## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

Just found out that the entire staff here is going to eventually be mandated to cut back to 3 or 4 days a week. Management included and we'll be paid for the 4 days a week. The first quarter forecast is really ugly.

Anyway, that means I'm taking a 20% pay cut. Now, we've been careful to not get in over our heads. We've got a small mortgage and I pay a little extra on it every month. I can back that off to the actual payment only. We've got hubby's Explorer payment which is too much, but not really high. I'm just very opposed to any car payment. Can't do much about that. He's got to have an SUV as he can't get into a car anymore because of his back and he's got the kids, so he needs more room than a truck. So selling the Explorer and paying cash for something cheaper isn't an option. And we'd probably only break even selling it anyway, which wouldn't leave any money for another vehicle. So, stuck there.

We can let the cleaning people go. I'll just have to chip in and help out more. And if I'm going to be home 3 days a week I might as well be doing that anyway. 

We've cut back as much as we can with the pets. I dropped their food to grocery store brands which killed me. We're not taking in any more rescues which kills me, but what can we do? We couldn't properly care for them right now anyway, so it wouldn't be fair. 

We're fortunately down to just the 2 girls; the other 5 kids have finally moved on. We have one that may wind up coming back in the spring, but the others seem to be settled where they are. So that saves us a fortune on food and utilities.

The girls are sharing the big bedroom downstairs so we don't have to heat upstairs. We're having the cable moved to that room (which we'd planned on doing anyway since we're turning it into a library) so they just heat that one room. The dogs (with the exception of my daughter's chihuahua) are in our room with us. Her dog is in the room with her at night and with us in the day, so we don't heat the living spaces. No sense in it.

Should mention - we don't have central heat and air. Just a window A/C unit in the summer and space heaters in the winter. Last winter having to heat the entire house cost us over $600 a month. So it should be a pretty decent savings only heating smaller spaces. 

My commute to work is 2 hours each way. Can't do anything about that. The car is pretty good on gas and I'll only be making the trip 4 times a week. Other than that, can't change anything there.

So, other than what I've mentioned, and the obvious (cutting back on the types of food we eat, not eating out, etc) do you guys have any suggestions on other ways to save some money until we get past this crunch?


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## DashAwayAll (Jul 19, 2008)

Move in with Dashie.


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

DashAwayAll said:


> Move in with Dashie.


No way!!! You got that white stuff that falls out of the sky way more than us. Could you imagine the poor torties having to be locked up all CT winter long? They'd revolt!!!


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

BTW - Have a peek at your little man. He was 1 pound when you left. He's now almost 7 pounds!!!! Eating and growing like a weed!!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I find that many people that have to deal with cutting back for the first time, or the first time in many years pay for many extras that I wouldn't even consider most times, and definitely not when times are tight. Here are some examples:
--name brand clothing
--new clothing just because
--cell phones
--TV, if you want it cut back to the very basic package
--internet options
--booze
--extra trips to the store, etc.
--movies
--trendy snack foods and lunches; stick to the basics for better quality and bang for your buck (I buy lots of popcorn for munchies in the house)
--coffees and snacks on the go - these are a killer!

Best way to decide where to cut back is write down EVERYTHING that you spend on over the course of two weeks and then add it up by category. You may be surprised where you can cut back.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

when you have lunch at work, bring it from home or go to a local grocery store and pick up enough for 3-4 days. (I was spending $8/day on eating out for lunch, now that I'm bringing it, it's roughly $3/day - over $750/year savings!)

keep your gas tank full, and tires properly inflated. drive with cruise control when you can, and at a slower speed (55 or 60 on the highway)

conserve water - wash full loads of clothes and dishes (newer dishwashers are far more environmentally friendly than washing by hand) turn off the water while brushing your teeth, shaving, etc. Put a brick in your toilet. Fix leaks. (I don't know about your water bill, but average ones in Atlanta are around $80 at some of the properties we service!)

blankets help cut down on how much heat is needed

cook at home

do you really need a landline/telephone line? we cut ours down to just the very basic local service - bill went from $105 per month to $19 per month

cable/satellite - again, cut out the extra "fluff" - We cut out HBO and save $35 per month!

when you go to run errands, run them all in one swoop so to avoid little trips here and there

buy store brands and use coupons!

drink water from the tap - it's cheaper and healthier than bottled water

hope these help


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

depending on where you are isn't tap worse than bottled??
and what does a brick in the toilet do?

wow i can totally relate...i was just thinking to myself this past 2 months we have severely been affected by the economy. all these tips are wonderful, and it's great to know that someone else is going through the same things


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

free_sprtd said:


> depending on where you are isn't tap worse than bottled??
> and what does a brick in the toilet do?


lol...i hadn't thought about bad water in other places 

a brick in the toilet makes the tank think it's fuller than it is, so you flush with less water ;-)


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## Kincsem (Oct 27, 2008)

Buy clothes at Goodwill. Mine usually come from the $1. racks. Buy energysaver bulbs they may seem expensive but they pay for themselves many times over with lower electric bills and last much longer. If you get milk buy it powdered. It cheaper and keeps well. Use comforters instead of or in addition to blankets. They are much warmer. Got one like new at Goodwill. Buy food that keeps without refrigeration,put it in plastic storage containers and shop less often. I load a cart to overflowing every time I go to WalMart. I get a lot of Ramen Noodles. They have gone up to 17 cents a package. Instead of coffee I buy 100 tea bags for $1. Wearing layers of clothes indoors helps keep warm.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

When buying food, clothes, toiletries etc. buy the most cheaper brand you find. Check also price-cuts and flea markets.

As to Internet/cell phone service provider, race them and choose the most cheapest provider.

Lower you room temperature with a couple of degrees. I know it doesn't sound very significant but it is because it cuts down heating costs.

Turn off every light/electronic device that you don't need just then.

Think about your hobbies. Is there something which you would cut out?

I think these are pretty basic things and you've perhaps noticed them already. I still wanted to brought them out on the chance that there's something new to you.


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

Go for holidays for a while (Package holidays include quite alot of things) .

Regards


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## DashAwayAll (Jul 19, 2008)

Some great ideas ... but some things ...
Well, everybody there drinks bottled water, tap is not really an option. The water is heavily chlorinated. I mean *heavy.* The local rivers and stuff are brown. It is the South. Look into those dechlorinater things that attach to your kitchen faucet. It may pay for itself in a month.

Ronnie - you may need to learn how to set the timer on your coffee machine. LOL Even if it means getting a second coffee machine and setting it up in the kitchen for walk-out-the-door coffee. For-go the McD's cuppa every morning. I'm sorry. It's an ugly thing to say .... but may be a necessity. ( JW is the only person I have ever met that actually thinks McD's coffee is da bomb. Yeech)That would be $35 a month.


Invest in shrink wrap plastic for your windows. Drape a blanket at the top of the stairwell to help trap heat.( yeah, I know there is a door down stairs.)

If you get bumped down to four days a week .... you and hubby can start doing the weekly errands together. I know YOU are a much more conservative shopper.

I would be excited about the 4-8+ hours of traveling you will NOT be doing each week.

As for the rest of it... well, they have been struggling to feed a pack of voracious teens for years. Some theirs, so just loaners teens. Nobody - human or otherwise- is turned away from their door.


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

DashAwayAll said:


> Some great ideas ... but some things ...
> Well, everybody there drinks bottled water, tap is not really an option. The water is heavily chlorinated. I mean *heavy.* The local rivers and stuff are brown. It is the South. Look into those dechlorinater things that attach to your kitchen faucet. It may pay for itself in a month.
> 
> Ronnie - you may need to learn how to set the timer on your coffee machine. LOL Even if it means getting a second coffee machine and setting it up in the kitchen for walk-out-the-door coffee. For-go the McD's cuppa every morning. I'm sorry. It's an ugly thing to say .... but may be a necessity. ( JW is the only person I have ever met that actually thinks McD's coffee is da bomb. Yeech)That would be $35 a month.
> ...


Told hubby last night that I want to get a filter for the tap and to start savings bottles. I got 'grumble grumble grumble'. I know, shocking right? 

No more Mickey D's coffee?? I gave up the sexy sports car. Now you're taking my Mickey D's?? What next? My will to live??? *sob* Oh - and we do have a second coffee pot in the room!! 

There's actually not a door going upstairs anymore. I got sick of it and took it off the hinges and put it in the storage room out back. But we're not heating the foyer, dining room, kitchen, living room, mud room, guest bath or laundry room either. Just the library, which is the big bedroom downstairs that has passed from homeless child to homeless child over the last two year. The girls are sharing it for the winter.

The shrink wrap for the windows is an excellent idea. We're headed to Lowe's tomorrow. 

And I'll be doing the shopping alone. He whines and cries like a freaking kid when he goes with me. Makes me nutso!! He's cut off from shopping. I also told him he's getting some rags and using those for some of the cleaning he does to cut back on paper towels. My work clothes that are dry clean only have been wrapped and hung in the back of the closet until spring, so that saves me a good bit. I'm also looking for a good used upright freezer and will start stocking up on meats when they have the buy one get one sales. And I bought a crock pot. That way the girls can just stick it right in the fridge and John can heat up the left overs for lunch.

Oh - and I'm talking to the boss to see if I can do 3 13 hour shifts - Mon, Wed, and Fri. That way I only make 3 trips to N'ville instead of 5 each week. 

It has really made me thankful that I stuck to my guns when it came to getting my new car. When I got rid of the little sexy car I was going to get a Miata, but would have had a car payment. I backed out at the last minute, as I really don't want to finance anything again. We learned our lesson in FL. That payment would kill us if I get my hours cut. *phew*


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

We put plastic on our windows already... it seemed to help quite a bit. They were quite drafty and that all stopped. The little kit was only like 10 bucks and im sure we will save that in th first month. 

we also installed a programable thermostat. They are effective as long as you drop your temp down for atleast 8 hours. Ours is at the lower temp during the day (when we are gone) for 9 hours, and then at night for 8 hours. When we are home it is at 68 degrees and when we are gone it drops down to 62. It is nice because it is set and we dont have to remember to turn it down before bed or anything.

having the furnace (or air conditioner) tuned up and cleaned helps also. Making sure the filters are replaced regularly. Also when know you are going to be gone for like days or something you can turn your water heater down as well. 

For food I like to make things in bulk... there is only two of us but I cook like 6-8. the leftovers can either be taken for lunches or frozen for a later use. I have cooked big roasts, turkeys, hams..etc and then frozen the leftovers. It seems to work great. I usually try to shoot for $2.00 servings (or less). We have cut out buying pop and candy (well some...) and gone to milk and water... and of course some booze. I dont like bring my BF shopping because he is kinnda like a little kid... sees what he likes and buys it. I dont like to shop either but i make a list and stick to it. Try to plan meals out a week or two in advance so that it eliminates trips and compulsive buying. We have also almost stopped eating out completly, it saves...

Make sure you also keep up with regular maintance with your cars. We do our own oil changes (which saves quite a bit over time)... get the tires rotated and balanced a couple times a year, saves on the life of them. Change out the fuel filter (you can do it on your own) and air filter. These little things could help optimize your gas mileage. 

Also try to keep yourself in good health. Exercise and sleep can help reduce your need to visit the doctor... not to say yearly check-ups should be avoided. 

Watch the electricity... try to unplug the things you arent using. Most newer TVs and computers dont fully shut-off unless you unplug it. Try to leave the lights off if you arent in the room. If you use a dishwasher shut off the heat drying, instead hand dry. Do you really need to heat your animals water tanks? Instead try just pailing the water out a couple times a day. Tank heaters really add up fast, so do heat lamps. 

There has been much more suggested that can help a lot as well. We are starting to brace for a cold winter... it was 18 degrees F this morning. BURR!!!!


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## DashAwayAll (Jul 19, 2008)

Still, shrink wrap the windows in the livingroom. That will help keep out the chill and help hold in the heat from the kitchen.The girls will be in and out of their rooms so often the heat will be in the LR/DR anyway.

Watch about the bathroom - the last thing you need are burts pipes.


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

I just moved to the other side of the country and am broke. I go to all three grocery stores once a week to get flyers and compare prices. It takes time, but it saves. I also work at the grocery store so I get 10% off (but it's still cheaper to go elsewhere for some products). I also buy produce that is 1/2 off and eat it that or the next day. I buy in season and local produce too. I walk to work (3km each way) and do all my errands in one trip to conserve gas. I cook big meals a few times a week and put it in the fridge. Buying in bulk and saving on energy used for the oven.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I know exactly how you feel. My husband has been on 3 day weeks for over a month. They said he would be back on full time this week but now they are talking not until sometime in January. He does get unemployment for the 2 day he is out but its still not what is normal. 
I don't work but get a small pension ever month. We have cut out all but basic cable, basic low minutes cell phone (we use it for emergencies only) stopped all newspapers and magazines. If it wasn't that we do all our financial stuff online I wouldn't have Internet either. 
EAT AT HOME! I can't stress that enough. A pot of beans goes a long way. We eat a lot of cereal and pancakes for dinner is pretty cheap. We even make our own pizza. We don't go out to eat unless its a cheap diner, and that very rarely.
We keep the thermostat set at "chilly" and wear extra clothes. We don't make any unnecessary trips to town. When he does go to work he stops and picks up anything we need at the store. Even without the drop in gas prices, our auto fuel bill has dropped by over half with him being home 4 days out of 7.
We have told all our family members not to buy us Christmas gifts. Everyone is hurting a bit so I think they were all glad to hear it. We don't do much anyway but this year there won't be any gifts under the tree and that's OK with us. 
I bought some stuff at Lowes, its sheet insulation. Big blue sheets of 3/4" foam. I measured each window and cut the foam to size, then taped the foam on the inside of each window. It works much better than the plastic sheeting. I take it down in the spring, write which window it goes in and use it again the next winter. The rooms we don't use it stays up year round. 
When I get a little extra $ I buy the high efficiency light bulbs. I've just about got ever light in the house replaced and I have seen a difference on the elect bill. 
Only do full loads of laundry. When I buy fabric softener I immediately dilute it by half. It still works just as good. 
I've started letting our horses out in the pasture for about 2-3 hours every day. There's not much out there for them to eat but they get a little exercise and its been making the round bale last longer. I also go out once a day with a pitch fork and pick up any they have dropped on the ground and put it back in the rack. Fortunately hay is something that the price has gone down on in our area 
I pray for better times but I have to say these aren't the worst we have lived through. Things will get better for all of us, I have faith


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

> When I get a little extra $ I buy the high efficiency light bulbs. I've just about got ever light in the house replaced and I have seen a difference on the elect bill.


I won't use them. First, hubby battles depression and the amount of light and type given off are very different. It's almost like it's a not as bright light or something.

Also, they are full of mercury which is dangerous. With kids and animals in the house that's too big a liability. Also makes you wonder what's going on in our landfills. If they're getting thrown in the garbage when they blow - and you know they are - they're getting dumped in the landfills and breaking and all that mercury is getting into the ground. It can seep into water supplies and the soil itself. I'm shocked that the gov'mnt not only allows their use but has banned the regular lights.

I've actually been buying cases of incandecent bulbs since the gov'mnt has outlawed them after ............ 2010 I think it is??


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

"1. CFLs aren't the only bulbs with mercury in them: the longer tubes have ~40mg in them and many businesses and institutions where they are primarily used don't know that they need to be returned to the distributor or a recycler when they burn out -- not broken up and put in the trash.
2. Mercury-containing lights fall under the EPA's universal waste rule change of 1999 as a hazardous waste. States choose to adopt the rules and California banned florescent lamps including CFLs in its 2006 Universal Waste law. 
3. Of the 514 million lamps per year that are currently entering the solid waste stream, about 142 million are from residential, while 372 million are from businesses, government and institutions (Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, 2004).
4. 70.8% of the mercury lamps used by business and 98% of the lamps used in homes are not being recycled (Ibid, 2004)
5. Based on 142 million lamps at 5mg each and 372 million lamps at 40mg each from business, government and institutions means that we are dumping 568kg and 14.88 tons of mercury directly into dumps each year, respectively. This is added to the mercury from electronic waste that is not being recycled giving approximately 40 tons direct to dumps each year.
6. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and every expert is predicting that 100% of our dumps will leak their leachate into water tables given enough decades (not centuries). Many dumps have no clay liner. For instance, the Redwood Landfill in Marin County, California, which accepts waste from many counties (but not San Francisco), also happens to have been built beside a marsh and between two earthquake fault zones. 
Mercury in dumps is a huge stored problem for subsequent generations. 
Personally, I believe CFLs are a good short-term approach, especially considering we've got carbon to deal with, but must be replaced with day lighting, solid state lighting and other non-mercury-containing technologies as rapidly as possible.
On balance, I think pushing CFLs is still a good thing to do but we should take the opportunity to educate people on the mercury at the same time."


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

It's been reported that burning fossil fuels to power incandescent bulbs releases more mercury into the atmosphere than the equivalent CFL bulbs contain.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

Well...I kind of always live in a "crunch" because I am one of the cheapest (I like to say frugal) people I know :?

1. Change all your light bulbs to flourescent...and if there is like one of those multiple bulb things...only use one socket. I have no idea why people need 6 bulbs over a mirror in the bathroom.

2. Plan every single meal. Cut down on the meat...up the vegetables. Get rid of sodas entirely. No frozen foods...no pre-prepared foods (ie hotpockets). We plan every single meal out at the beginning of the week. Take your lunch with you to work everyday. Look at "unit prices"...sometimes the smaller one is the better deal...sometimes the bulk item is the better deal. We only allow one snack per person...I get Oreos 

3. We allow $80 "entertainment" budget monthly...that includes all fun activites...movies...eating out (includes fast food)...and horse lessons. This also includes new clothes.

4. Unplug all electronics that aren't being used...we keep our dvd player, playstation, etc. on surge protectors...and keep them switched off when not in use. Unplug the microwave when not in use.

5. With Christmas coming up...I don't buy holiday cards...they get thrown away the next week anyway. I also don't buy wrapping paper...I wrap in junk mail catalogs. Buy flourescent lights...they use 80% less energy then regular christmas lights.

That's only the tip of the iceberg...like I said I'm "frugal." :shock: Some people think Im kind of crazy...


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

oh yeah...and we don't have cable tv. We do have the netflix $8 a month package.


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## DashAwayAll (Jul 19, 2008)

I refuse to buy those new crappy lightbulbs. They suck worse than a Hoover. I read alot, and those $#@ bulbs give me a headache in minutes.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I'm getting my cable shut off this week....we're never home to watch it and when we are it's only at night, and i have a movie store so might as well watch movies! hahahha ya. you guys got me going on taking it off  thanks! that will save me 50 bucks a month!


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

While the new bulbs save on electricity, they contain mercury for which there is no real safe disposal... so I see why some people don't like them. You can get them in "warm" (yellowish) and "cool" (blueish) tones, so if one gives you a headache try the other!


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

All excellent advice but can I ask the obvious? why are you driving that far, to make so little? there has got to be another position closer to home that allows you to be more comfortable.


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## DashAwayAll (Jul 19, 2008)

There are very few job opportunities there within an hours drive. It's why I left - was JW's neighbor for a year. A super year it was, too.

When you work 14 hour days ... the drive was worth it when you crunched the numbers. If you saw the comment about "cleaning staff" don't get the wrong idea. With JW working such long days... may times 6 days a week, with a two hour commute each way, she has no time to do anything but fall into bed and sleep. Hubby is disabled...getting him to NOT OVERDUE is always a battle. Over due cleaning one day, and he is flat out and in horrible pain for days. It was a good investment. For their health, JWs metal health and hubby's physical health. the kids pitch in, but teens only do some much. often with complaining and moaning....


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

DashAwayAll said:


> I refuse to buy those new crappy lightbulbs. They suck worse than a Hoover. I read alot, and those $#@ bulbs give me a headache in minutes.


I agree...they just arent very bright.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Sorry to hear about your husband. You should probably nix the foam on the windows too, since it will darken a room considerably. Its amazing how much it cuts out the cold though, for those of you that are interested. 
Someone mentioned $80 a month for entertainment including clothes? We never go out, and buying new clothes anywhere except wal marts clearance rack is pretty much a thing of the past. I just tore a hole in my "good" jeans on some barbed wire. I'll have to patch them and pretend its not there. 
All in all I and my husband are happy and healthy. We still have a roof over our head and its deer season so we should have a full freezer soon. We aren't late on any bills and I think we will have enough to pay our farm taxes next month (nice it comes over Christmas:-() 
Try to think of all the good things you have. I know it doesn't help but you do have bright spots, focus on them.


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## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

I figure I saved over $2000.- this year just making these few changes.
I don't heat areas of the house we are not using. Wash clothes in cold water and hang as much as possible reducing use of the dryer. Invest in power strips and turn off the switch so that appliances are off. I read that 30% of the electric use is when the appliance is in standby. Unplug the electric fence generator rather than just turning off the switch when the horses are not in pasture. Combine trips (kids-shopping-other). If I only need a few things from the store I ride my horse. Weigh feed and feed each horse as indicated by their individual needs rather than just throwing flakes. The only time we use our Mitsubishi SUV is in heavy snow or when pulling the trailer. The rest of the time we drive our Hondas. Gas is $6.70 per gallon here. I am a veggie and I cook vegetarian for my family 4-5 times a week and they don't even notice. I never buy soda pop and we are lucky there are not fast food places here. Mc Donalds is in the city. My kids come home for lunch from school 4 days of the school week. I pack snacks.
Thanks for some of the great tips on this thread. I will sure use some of them.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

well Im the most frugal person I know...but certainly not the most frugal person on the horse forum!  I never knew there was such a hatred for flourescent lighting...guess Im used to them...and I've never had to deal with disposing of them as I've had the same ones for almost 5 years! I've actually had the same light bulbs in 2 different apartments...one rental house...and now our home we just bought. Vidaloco...we budget $80 in our monthly expenses mostly for date night. My husband and I insist on having our romantic date night once a week. Which leads me to one more money saver...hopefully no kids are reading...have more sex. Trust me you won't notice not having cable tv or whatnot. (Flourescent lighting optional :lol We also used to not have internet. Most libraries have internet access for free.


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## Kincsem (Oct 27, 2008)

A solar powered fence charger can save on electricity. The flourescent energy saver bulbs come in different wattages just like regular. You can get ones that equal 100 watt bulbs,75 watts,etc. I have 0 for entertainment and I got my daughter to take me to Goodwill for my birthday. I got 13 clothing items for $13. + a comforter. My animals I my entertainment.,


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

hotreddun said:


> well Im the most frugal person I know...but certainly not the most frugal person on the horse forum!  I never knew there was such a hatred for flourescent lighting...guess Im used to them...and I've never had to deal with disposing of them as I've had the same ones for almost 5 years! I've actually had the same light bulbs in 2 different apartments...one rental house...and now our home we just bought. Vidaloco...we budget $80 in our monthly expenses mostly for date night. My husband and I insist on having our romantic date night once a week. Which leads me to one more money saver...hopefully no kids are reading...*have more sex*. Trust me you won't notice not having cable tv or whatnot. (Flourescent lighting optional :lol We also used to not have internet. Most libraries have internet access for free.


 
hmmmmm..........now there's an idea


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> It's been reported that burning fossil fuels to power incandescent bulbs releases more mercury into the atmosphere than the equivalent CFL bulbs contain.


We're totally off topic here, but I had to toss in that I don't buy into the Global Warming hype, so I won't subject my family to the stupid screwy lightbulbs anyway. They may save money in the long run, but to me, with hubby affected by the light and any chance that we could be harmed with the mercury in the bulbs - not worth the chance!

Other than that, please keep the ideas coming all! We're not going to be starving with my paycut; we're not looking for extreme ideas. Just simple things we can do to cut back a bit. And I've gotten some excellent ideas from you all!! Thank you!


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## chestnutmare (Sep 29, 2008)

We never shut our computers down except in a thunderstorm. For one thing, they do not use much electricity when the cpu is not being used. Rebooting your computer does take a lot of electricity and if you are doing this every day, then you are adding to the wear of your computer and shortening its life. Buying a new computer will cost you a lot more than you think you are actually saving on electricity. Leave it on. My husband builds and repairs computers.

We do however keep unused rooms in our house closed and our thermostat set below 60 degrees unless we are having company. So we have to throw on some extra clothing to save on oil bills. 

We also try to buy food items on sale. Meats that are less than $1.99. We then repackage them in meal sized freezer bags and keep them in the freezer. We periodically shop at discount grocery stores especially to buy gluten-free products since I am celiac and can't eat wheat. These products tend to be quite pricey in regular grocery stores. We try to keep our budget at or below $60 a week for two. We really do not buy any extras, do not have TV or movie rentals. No eating out and if we have to travel, we bring food and water. We make do with what we have and we are quite happy. Thankful to have a roof over our head and food to eat and good health.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

How the heck am I spending so much money on food!?!?!?!?!? I spend about $120-$140 on food for 2 a week?????? what the heck?? and we don't have big meals for breakfast or lunch just a nice meal for dinner. I am buying food daily and haven't frozen anything in 4 years.


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## chestnutmare (Sep 29, 2008)

We shop no more than once a week, so we save on gas and don't buy prepared foods, snacks, or soda. Basically, we buy the least expensive good food we can afford which at the moment is not much. FYI, one of the local grocery stores has turkey for .48 per pound. If we had the freezer space, we would have bought several as that is cheap eating. We do eat well and are not going hungry.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Ya I think it's just because I shop every night. I don't buy a lot....just a veggie, carb, and meat, unless we're having spaghetti or grilled cheese or something like that. hmmm........ guess ill have to work on it. But it sounds like im spending a lot huh?


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

free_sprtd said:


> How the heck am I spending so much money on food!?!?!?!?!? I spend about $120-$140 on food for 2 a week?????? what the heck?? and we don't have big meals for breakfast or lunch just a nice meal for dinner. I am buying food daily and haven't frozen anything in 4 years.


I think you answered your own question.

I guess we spend about $300 at Sam's every 6 weeks or so. That includes meat and paper goods. We probably spend another couple hundred at Walmart every 2 or 3 weeks. This would include all food, cleaning supplies, soaps, and paper goods for four people. It doesn't include dog food.

We purchase things in bulk. We freeze meat. For convenience sake, I purchase preformed 90% lean ground beef at Sam's and then freeze the patties individually. We don't buy much cereal (it's SO expensive), use off brands for most things, purchase flour in huge bags (and freeze the bags so it doesn't get buggy), and don't get a lot of convenience items. I have a front loading washer and we buy laundry soap on sale at Sears. I only have to purchase laundry soap about two or three times a year. 

Another way I've found to save money is to go to second hand stores for my clothing. I get much of my daughter's at Target. In fact, someone made a comment the other day about her cute Gymboree outfit. It came from Target. Pants are $4 at Goodwill. There are some nicer second hand stores around too. I am picky about what I purchase second hand. I find that people donate very nice Talbot's, Jones, etc. clothing. If I can get a pair of pants for $4 why should I pay $70 at the store?

I'm addicted to Diet Pepsi so my food bills are more than they would otherwise be. We tend to wait until something is on sale and then purchase in bulk.

Another way to save money is to make a double recipe of what you're having for dinner and then freeze half of it. An inexpensive treat /restaurant food is going to an Italian place and purchasing sauce and bread. The kids like to have bread dipped in meat sauce for dinner. You can make your own spaghetti, use their sauce, and use their bread. Yummy treat and not expensive if you purchase it as a carry out treat.


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## Johnswife (Sep 20, 2008)

free_sprtd said:


> Ya I think it's just because I shop every night. I don't buy a lot....just a veggie, carb, and meat, unless we're having spaghetti or grilled cheese or something like that. hmmm........ guess ill have to work on it. But it sounds like im spending a lot huh?


I've found the more frequently we shop the more we spend. I have no clue why, but if we only shop for a day we easily spend $100. Or we shop for a week and spend $110. 

I've also found that if we let hubby shop we spend _way_ more. I'd rather shop with two teen aged girls than him. He's not good at cutting back at all.....


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## chestnutmare (Sep 29, 2008)

I do like to shop with my husband and find that between the two of us, who both cook, we are able to locate better prices on items. We shop about once every week and a half if possible to save money. Unless you shop strictly by your shopping list, you are more susceptible to overspending. We use a list and then look for meats that are on sale. Like I posted earlier, we usually don't spend over $1.99 per pound for meat and when we find a real good deal e.g. .48 cent lb turkey or .69 cents lb chicken, we stock up. We make good nutritious meals for very little.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

thanks for all the food tips guys!


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