Cutting expenses

[coni]

Help with any ideas or practices you have if you would! Our household is in serious need of a financial revamping. Thanks in advance...

[Bsbllmom]

We have been trying to do this for the last month and I think we are doing pretty well.

We started shopping at Costco. We buy 1 or 2 packs of meat and split it in half. I bought one of those ziplock sealer things at the market. I seal the meat so it lasts longer in the fridge. We bought tortellini and split that in half and so on. We buy big bags of frozen veggies and every week I will buy 2 packs of different fruit. I actually bought a big bag of beans and one of rice they are both cheaper sides. The first week we did this we actually spent more than what I wanted. I budget $200 a week for groceries. Now we just buy 1 pack of meat and if we like something that they are sampling we will buy it. Last week we spent $131 and this week we spent $153 but as of today we have enough food for 12 dinners plus all the stuff for breakfast and lunch for the next week.

So what we have done is stockpiled both meats and sides. This is our biggest expense when it comes to buying food. We always have leftovers now so that is what DH takes to work for lunches. We save a lot of money that way.

I have cut out all extra trips to Target, the mall and so on. We used to go places on the weekend that were a little far and we have cut that out. I budget $100 a week for gas in my truck and we are doing really well on cutting back on that right now. It will be easier once school is out because I won't be driving the boys back and forth and I won't be working.

I also use coupons when there are sales at the market. That is the only time I go to the market, to use coupons and I will stock pile.

Try going to Grocerygame.com. You can get a trial I think for something like $1 a week. I just got the feel for how they were doing it and I try to do it on my own now.

There is also fishingfordeals.com that you can search through and they find great deals from clothes, to food, to furniture. You name it it's on there.

Good luck. I know these days it is so hard to save a buck but we really have to try.

Sorry for rambling I hope you get what I was saying. :D

[saxmaniac]

It's not for the faint of heart, but measure. It's hard to improve what you don't measure. So I track everything with Quicken. I can tell you exactly how much I spent in groceries or interest over the last 10 years. It sounds impossible, but if your bank has some way of downloading the data take advantage of it.

Go through all your recurring expenses and see what can be cut down. It takes some research! Some examples:

With gas on the rise, look for gas rebate cards. I have a few that give 2% to 5% back. Helpful when you spend $500 a month on gas.

Phone charges are usually exorbitant - are you paying $30 a month for unlimited long distance on your landline, but have a cell phone? Cancel long distance! That will remind you to use your cell phone. Similarly, I just canceled our unlimited local-calls because the only local calls are in town, and I never call in town. Saves $20 a month.

TV: I pay $9 a month for "Basic analog" TV. I don't want pay TV or cable box. The cheapest digital rate is $60/month here. Oh, and they give us the digital channels anyway. And HDTV. The worst that happen is you watch less TV and $50 buys a lot of DVDs a month.

We also buy selected items at BJs/Costco/whatever. Not everything there is a good price, so you have to watch. Milk, diapers, cheese, condiments, detergents, cleaners, etc.

[StillMamamia]

We've been jotting down EVERY purchase, even small, for a couple of months now, and it's helped to see where we are unnecessarily spending money.
I've made a simple in/out/balance Excel sheet for my DH and myself.

We buy at cheaper supermarkets most of the time.
We make a list and stick to it...and the list is made according to the supermarket plan of where things are...to avoid distractions.

We've cut down on eating out.

I'm going to sell books I've never read, which are catching dust on the shelf.

I'm going to sell in the local newspaper items which are rarely used. Mind you, we never see yard sales here...unfortunately.

Hope this helps!

[taximom]

I'm going to sell books I've never read, which are catching dust on the shelf.

I'm going to sell in the local newspaper items which are rarely used. Mind you, we never see yard sales here...unfortunately.



I've also thought about selling items that we no longer use or need (furniture, books, clothes, etc.) on Craigslist.com.

[Tripletmommy]

Help with any ideas or practices you have if you would! Our household is in serious need of a financial revamping. Thanks in advance...

I'm not sure why - but we've JUST started buying the store brand of a lot of things.... we're saving a few cents here and there, but it's adding up!

Think like - pastas (great expecially for the whole wheat kinds - Barilla is so expensive, and its only 13 oz instead of a full pound like the stop and shop brand is)

Or Papertowels and paperplates, baggies, plastic wrap, tin foil.... I could go on and on - but we've saved a ton - I dont know why I felt the need to buy the "name' brand stuff - its silly! :rolleyes:

Hope that helps!

[valerie k]

you need two lists... your fixed expenses and your nonfixed. Fixed is your house payment, insurence, utilities,... nonfixed, food, entertainment, clothes.

on your fixed, what can you do to reduce? insurence-can you cut your rate? higher deductable can lead to lower monthly premiums, but realize your tradeoff... phone? cut your bells and whistles, cell phones? check your plan, can you get a lower plan? shop around, they want your business. Utilities-shut off lights, up the thermostate in summer for air, lower in winter for heat, use ceiling fans, hang clothes out to dry in summer instead of using dryer

internet?
cable?

I personally wont get rid of the internet, becouse of the vast amount of knowledge I have gained about D... Cable, well... I love cable, but thats most likely to go.

your unfixed expenses... food is a huge one you can tackle and see results quickly. shop the sales, use coupons ONLY if you find that a sale and a coupon results in a lower price then the store generic brand. Shop those generics, shop by price, bigger is not always better, use your calculator, divide those ounces into the price, you may find, the smaller version is the cheaper. Dont over buy and toss... your tossing out green dollars then, it would be cheaper to spend a few extra cents in the long run if thats the case.

Meal planning... cant stress this enough. Grab the sunday ads, and start your meal plan for the week. Its not having a plan that leads to fast food and resturaunt usage. Always always have some sort of backup meal for the days its just all gonna fall apart. For us, its those tiny frozen pizzas, 15 minutes in the oven, dinner ready. Totinos is the brand we use, they are around a 1.00 each. In the summer, they work excellent on the B-B-Q grill...

entertainment, rent movies instead of seeing them in a threater, better yet, borrow them from friends or library. plan dinners at home themed, mexican, french, italian... it can be fun. dont buy books, use the public library. They do have a way to get books from other librarys so your selection can be gotten. picnics at parks are wonderful, bike ride hike great entertainment and wonderful exercise.

[Charmed7]

I have been slowly scaling back in the past 6 months. For me I had to do this one thing at a time, or it got over whelming.

I take public transportation to work ($45 a month here) so I fill my tank once a month. With gas on the rise, fill your tank every half a tank or less. You'll be filling up at the cheaper price than tomorrow. Also watch your driving. Hitting the gas and slamming the brakes will waste gas and wear and tear on your car and brakes. Take it easy driving. I swear, when my hubby drives he's gotten 24 miles per gallon on a 2003 Mercury Sable (6 cylinder). The new hybrid's offering 35 mpg highway. So he's really getting a lot out of the gas. Also, we lowered our insurance on his Mustang to Comprehensive only. This dropped our insurance premium way down. We only drive the one car now.

Make grocery shopping a full time job for a few weekends. The first time we did it, we shopped for two whole days! Now that I have a good idea which stores offer the lower prices on each item, I'm able to lower my grocery bill a little. I live in the city, so driving between the three grocery stores in my town is easy. Two of them are in walking distance. And as suggested above, buy in bulk. Plan your meals for the whole month.

One thing I did this past month was bought 100 Calorie Packs, on sale, with a coupon. I was thinking, woohoo I got these cheap at 12 bags for $4! Then I started thinking about it, and instead this week I went and bought a lb of pretzels sticks for $0.99 and put them in 16 sandwich bags (50 bags = $1.50) at an ounce each. (Thank goodness we have a scale lol) And guess how many calories in an ounce...105.

Oh, clothes...I go to Salvation Army. I just got 2 great pairs of pants for $4. And I buy all my kids clothes on hand me downs or consignment etc. I think this option will slowly become less appealing as other people in our situation do it.

We keep our lights off as much as possible. It really makes a difference. One month my hubby didn't hound us to turn them off and our bill was much higher. We also don't have cable. We have internet and local phone only. We also have cell phones which are way too expensive if you ask me. I saw tracphone (I think) if you can do that type of plan. We rely on our phones way too much since we have close family across the country and we don't call them on our house phone.

Also, I'm on state medical insurance. I'm about to get an audit and won't be eligible anymore, but my kids will be. So I will buy my hubby and I insurance thru work, but the kids will still be on state with a low premium and co-pays. I'm sure I don't have to explain the cost of D-Care.

The only other thing we do is "Nothing." We don't go out to eat. We don't go to the movies. We don't go do anything. It's play in the back yard, library, or watch TV. There's a company here (eastcoast only I think) called RedBox. It cost a $1 a day to rent a DVD. So I will pick one up on Sat to watch with Hubby Sat Night. That's our night out. LOL We have big plans to go to the Drive-In this summer at least once. So two movies for the cost of one car to get in, because on Wed the cost is per car, weekends it's cost per head.

We don't live poor. We just live frugal. I spoke to a mortgage loan officer to see if I could qualify to buy a home. She said not yet, but she commends me for "surviving" on my income for four people. You do what you gotta do. I remember $1.50 would last me a whole day in my younger days of wandering around town. I would buy a roll of bread for $0.25 and the butts of deli meat for $0.35 would be my lunch ha ha.

Well that was a long lesson. I hope you find some helpful tips. If I think of any more I'll let you know.

Charmed

[Charmed7]

Oh, I went to eat dinner, and realized one more thing we do. We usually buy a few whole chickens a month. I was discussing what we do with the chicken and just found out one chicken can make us 5 meals if we put our heart into it (which we will probably keep doing)

(Meal 1) First we bake the whole chicken. Served with Rice (biggest item in our house) and frozen veggies. Everyone's food is measured out because DH and I are dieting and my son is Diabetic (duh) and the baby eats small portions.

(Meals 2, 3, & 4) We pull one leg off and put aside and the rest is boiled in a big pot and made into soup. Add can of corn, green beans and lima beans. Add 1 lb of carrots and three large onions. Add one can of tomato sauce. Measure rice (of course) or egg noogles if you want something different. We eat the soup (2-3 cups each person except the baby) and we freeze two more meals in plastic containers.

(Meal 5) Then we chop up the leg and the dark meat attached. We season it. Add a can of black beans, or kidney beans or what every you want and mix it all up into (you guessed it) Rice! Add a salad on the side.

And the funny thing, since we started doing this, our garbage is way lower.

OK, this is really bad, but I thought of another thing but it's not coming to me. I'll be back I'm sure.

Charmed

[Charmed7]

I'm such a nerd I know. But this really consumes my mind sometimes.

If you are a two income family, the other thing is really look at how much it costs to have the other person in work. IE: Gas to get to work. Day care expenses. Loss of time that can be used to prepare meals and budget. (I say this one b/c my cousin tells me all the time, "I just don't have the time to shop and cook, so I just buy food out")


ok I'm done. Good night LOL

Charmed, of course.

[MReinhardt]

I went to the $ store, Dollar tree, Everythings a $1.00, Deals and the such. I bought several sets of plastic containters found in the baby section. These plastic containers w/lids are 6 for $1.00, they come in purple, blue, pink.

I buy the biggest jar of applesauces (unsweetened), weight out each individual serving. Put apple sauce in one color. Then they go in the fridge.

I do the same with canned fruit (unsweetened) my girls like the fruit coctail stuff. You can do this with pudding too. And with many other food items. I just did this with left over cooked frozen vegetable for another meal.

I usually buy generic Rice crispy, Cheerios, and Corn flakes.

If you have an Aldi's near you, great place for many canned items. Great place for milk, eggs and cheese. I am picky about the meat they I buy, so if I have to splurge, I splurge on meats. When I was in the St. Louis, this past week, I did a bit of meat shopping compared prices big time

4 Brats @ $2.99 lb or 12 Brats @$1.99 lb I purchased the 12 pk, divided the brats in pks of 3 (3 in our family), then wrapped very tightly and frozen them for the trip home. I did the same thing for Pork Steaks, $1.67 lb or 99 Cents a lb. Wrapped tightly and froze for the trip home. Now only if I can find Chicken reasonable.

I dont have cable, and I dont want to pay for TV when when we can get it for free. I have a TV attenna only. We use the play station, games, or just sitting out side for fun. I dont pay to rent movies, when our library has them to check out for free. If I want a book to read, I request the book from our library, it might take some time to get the book, but i do get the books.

When traveling, I pack our lunch for the trip along with drinks.

When driving, careful on braking and excelerating, use the cruise control as much as possible, due speed limit (this will save lots of gas).

Coupons, Coupons and more coupons.


If I have more, I'll post

[funnygrl]

Not sure if this has been mentioned- but do you have an ALDI there? We do almost all of our shopping there and it saves a lot on grocery bills.

Try and eliminate unneeded expenses. Don't pay for banking at all- there's no reason to. Call your utility providers, a lot of them will give you discounts for things like paying bills online of combing bills. We just got $5 off a month for combing our DirectTv and Verizon bill.

Try and pay off high interest credit cards. The interest on those things can kill you. My family recently went through a very difficult financial time and has since totally replaced credit cards with debit cards.

Don't go over cell phone minutes! AT&T charges $0.45/min you go over. We've done this a lot. You can check your account online to see how many minutes you've used. We check it every Friday to make sure we're on track for the month now.

Watch how often you go out to eat- that gets expensive. Even when you do go out to eat, we try and order water because the drinks really add up too.

Look for savings on medical costs. A lot of insurance companies will give you cheaper prescription costs if you mail order a 3 month supply, and a lot of drug companies have coupons good toward co-pays.

I know it may not seem like much, but simple things like that have saved my family a lot of money.

[coni]

These suggestions are great! If you have more, I'd love to hear them! I know our family can do many of these.

If you are a two income family, the other thing is really look at how much it costs to have the other person in work. IE: Gas to get to work. Day care expenses. Loss of time that can be used to prepare meals and budget. (I say this one b/c my cousin tells me all the time, "I just don't have the time to shop and cook, so I just buy food out")

This may be what we're facing, and in reality, it might not be so bad financially. My DH worked over 1 hour away from home - 5 days a week. Gas was an incredible expense. His teaching contract was full-time temporary. Since his heart attack in April, we haven't heard whether he'll be back in the fall...

[Karenwith4]

We've been a one income family for about 8 years now. It can be a stretch at times but it has definitely been worth it in our case. Many of our choices are based not only on financial priorities but also environmental ones and I realize that they might not always work for others but I will share them just in case.

One thing that has helped us has been our money management software which is YNAB Pro (You need a budget pro). It's a cash flow based program. It tracks our spending in categories so I can see exactly what we are spending our $ on. I can let you know more about it if you are interested.

1) Insurance - see if you can get a discount by putting home, life, and car insurance with the same broker/insurance company. See if you can get discounts on any of these through your bank, your place of employment, unions or professional associations etc. We also pay these outright as the monthly payment options often charge a service charge.

2) Food - lots of suggestions have been made already but I buy on sale and freeze, buy in bulk, have meatless or meat as a side dish meals at least 3 nights a week, use a crock pot for less expensive cuts of meat, make soup and stews to strecth meals, buy almost nothing processed or packaged that I can make at home, plan meals, have a well stocked pantry. There have been times when we've had a tight week and I have made it through on less than $40 worth of groceries for the week by using what is in my pantry/freezer, and buying mostly fresh veggies, some dairy.
We buy much of our produce and fresh groceries at the farmer's market, but we also have volunteered with a great program for our city called the Garden Fresh Box which offers a nice selection of fruits and vegetables - enough for a family of 4 - 6 for a week for $15. This program is fairly common in our province - don't know if it is for your area but it might be something to look into.
Also if you eat meat and you have $ up front, you might look into investing in 1/2 or 1/4 cow, or pig for your freezer. You can save a lot of $ that way.
Depending on how you eat already you might be able to make some savings by doing little things like choosing oatmeal instead of boxed cereals, buying bricks of cheese and shredding it rather than buying pre-shredded cheese, buying bulk rice rather than instant - that kind of thing.

3) Clothes - almost all my kids clothes are thrifted, bought on clearance or are gifts. We do this partly for enviromental reasons and partly to save money. When jeans or pants get a ripped knee I patch or turn them into shorts. I buy plain things as much as possible so it is easy to pass stuff down without looking dated.

3) Entertainment - we get dvds, books and cds from the library rather than buying or renting them. We have the minimum for cable because we don't watch much tv. We look for free or low cost family entertainment, buy or ask for gifts of passes for places we visit often like the nearby conservation area and our local museum. My husband and I when we go to the movies, visit the little local theatre which shows movies about a month or more after their big theatre release. It costs us $6 versus $11.
If we consolidate our internet, cable, cell and land phones we get a 20% discount on all of those services, plus get some free upgrades etc.

5) Consolidate banking and ask for no service charges on your main chequing account(s) and find a way to reduce your fees for ATM etc.

6) In Canada we have Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RSPs) which we can put money into which grows tax free and also generates a tax deduction. We take that deduction at source, meaning we reduce my husbands tax load on each pay period so we have extra money when we need it. We put our tax returns into savings or pay off some of our mortgage with it, or we plough it back into our RSPs to get a bigger tax deduction for the following year. I don't know if you have something similar in the US but it might be worth looking into.

7) During biking season we rarely drive our van during the week as the kids and I bike everywhere we can. It saves us a lot on gas and wear and tear on the van. When we do need to drive I try to consolidate trips so I am not running all over town. With the price of gas, every little bit helps.

8) Reduce our energy consumption - hang laundry to dry, change to energy efficient lightbulbs, use fans and curtains to keep the house cool in the summer rather than using a/c, turn down the thermostat and wear sweaters and slippers in the winter, use low flow shower heads.

9) Be mindful of what we buy and where. We try to always buy reusable items rather than disposable, share items with friends and family (ie we share a roof top carrier for our van with my ILs and BIL/SIL and lend it to friends, we borrow their ladder and chain saw).

eta: 10) We have refillable stainless steel water bottles for everyone in the family which we refill and store in the fridge. We started this a couple of years ago before the BPA situation came to light. It saves us lots of $ just in buying drinks alone.

11) When we go out to eat, we will often visit a place where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. Makes a BIG difference with 4 kids.
Good luck!
Karen

[momandwifeoftype1s]

Here's my big contribution - avoid miscellaneous Target shopping sprees where you browse up and down the aisles throwing "little things" in your cart that you "need". I knew I had a problem when my husband pointed out that Target was our 4th highest expense per month. :confused:

[MReinhardt]

GAS


I put money on a walmart gift card, just for gas. Our walmart has a Murphy USA station. I use my walmart card at Murphys to save on 4-5 Cents per gallon of gas.

[Ellen]

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and thanks too for adding ways to be more environmentally conscious as well. Any ideas for natural/inexpensive safer cleaning products?

[fredntan2]

I wash my veggies off in a water/vinegar bath when they come home. Add splash of vinegar to water. and a dash of dish soap. then I cut veggies up and add them to plastic bag with paper towel in bottem. they last much longer this way.

I bought bulk cleaning product in gallon jug. I just refill my spray bottle when empty. It cleans mirrors, floors, counter tops etc. Not sure of name. Its antibacterial though

[Karenwith4]

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and thanks too for adding ways to be more environmentally conscious as well. Any ideas for natural/inexpensive safer cleaning products?

Hi Ellen

We use a lot of the recipes from this page (http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm). I add a few drops of tea tree oil for disinfecting for bathroom cleaning.

We have a nearby company which makes and sells environmentally friendly cleaning products so I buy their dish soap and laundry soap.

hth
Karen

[momandwifeoftype1s]

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and thanks too for adding ways to be more environmentally conscious as well. Any ideas for natural/inexpensive safer cleaning products?

I don't know if it's any cheaper, but I love Bona hardwood floor cleaner. They are environmentally friendly, and there is no slippery residue. Here's their website info:

http://www.bonakemi.com/shop/products.asp

[Twinklet]

RE: Cheap and safe cleaning solutions

I got the following from a lady at church. I haven't tried any of it yet, but I plan to soon. I think I'll eliminate the bleach on the floors, though! :eek:
```````````````````````````````````````````````

How to Make Your Own Cleaning Solutions

This article will show you how to make your own cleaning solutions, for cleaning everything in your house. With the below homemade cleaning products, you can disinfect, shine, and clean your home, while saving money. ;-)


What you'll need:

white vinegar
water
rubbing alcohol
baking soda
olive oil
lemon juice
liquid bleach
three clean, empty, spray bottles
a sealable container (this container only needs to be able to fit a couple of cups of liquid in it, hence, can be small.)


For cleaning surfaces and tiles (non-wood surfaces)

Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water, and put into a spray bottle.
Label that bottle "all purpose cleaner".


For polishing wood surfaces and furniture

Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
Keep in a sealed container, labeled "furniture polish".


For cleaning the toilets

Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar, and label it "toilet bowl cleaner".


For cleaning sinks and tubs

Use baking soda as a scouring powder.
For hard to clean sinks and tubs, add a little bit of water to some baking soda, to form a paste.
Paint the paste onto the area you need to clean, and let sit for a half hour, then scrub it off, and
re-scour with dry baking soda.

For cleaning mirrors, TV/computer screens, and glass

Mix together 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
Pour into a spray bottle, and label it "glass cleaner".


For scrubbing hard floors

Fill mop bucket with steaming hot water, and add some liquid bleach.
Read the dilution instructions on your bottle of bleach, to find out how much bleach to put into the bucket.
(When you mop, open a few windows, to limit bleach fumes.)

For spot-cleaning carpets

Pour some undiluted rubbing alcohol on the spot, and rub with a wash cloth.



**Using just the above, you now have all the cleaning solutions you need, to clean your whole house. :-)

[StillMamamia]

Not sure if this has been mentioned- but do you have an ALDI there? We do almost all of our shopping there and it saves a lot on grocery bills.



ALDI is where we do most of our grocery shopping. Do they have that in the US too:confused:

And yes, great tip on paying online for certain utilities....every little $ adds up.

Oh, also, we used to shop as we needed, like 3 - 4 times a week, now, a strict list is made, and we shop 1x week, and we don't use the car as often for that, so we save on gas too.

[funnygrl]

Yep, we have ALDI here.

[vettechmomof2]

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and thanks too for adding ways to be more environmentally conscious as well. Any ideas for natural/inexpensive safer cleaning products?

Vinegar. Can be used for so many different cleaning purposes.

We use it for most things.

Allene

[Beach bum]

I'm not sure why - but we've JUST started buying the store brand of a lot of things.... we're saving a few cents here and there, but it's adding up!
!

If you do some research, you will find the store brands are generally produced in the same factories as the "name brands."

I buy store brand bags, foil etc. For snacks I use the reusable containers so that I'm not clogging up a landfill with baggies:eek: I try not to buy the single serving items as much anymore because they are sooo much more expensive.

Grow as many of your own veggies as possible! We are doing cukes, tomatoes, corn and peppers.

[BrendaK]

I have been using this for about 4 months and it is AWESOME!!! I also use 1/2 cup of vinegar in place of fabric softner. Did you know vinegar is a water softner and it leaves NO smell in your clothes and they are so soft!!

http://www.recipezaar.com/70088

This saves me about $30/month on laundry detergent/fabric softner. I also use those dryer balls you can get at Bed Bath and Beyond instead of dryer sheets. Be sure to use Fels Naptha Soap (NOT plain bar soap) and Washing Soda (NOT baking soda). I make it exactly like the recipie says.

Another fun thing to do is read the Tightwad Gazette http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250

And yes, ALDI is my FAVORITE grocery store!!!

[Treysmom]

Thanks for the ideas.....We all can afford to save some $$ I have been cleaning with vinegar for years. I use bleach only when I have to but it is great and cheap to.

[WestinsMom]

Vinegar also is great for when you wash clothes and forget to dry them...rewash with vinegar and it gets rid of the mildew odor.

[Gaia]

Doesnt vinegar also help whiten? I cant stand the smell of it but Ill use it if it saves money!! Tea tree oil is also a good disinfectant. Just a few drops in a bucket of hot water either plain or w/ vinegar or what ever.

There are so many fantastic ideas here! I already try to buy meat in bulk & then split it but never thought about getting the big bags of frozen veggies & splitting them. I'll have to compare cost but Ill bet its cheaper and less waste too!.

I stopped using dryer sheets becaused of the cost. Instead sometimes Ill spray a clean washcloth w/ lavender or another light scent and that works too.

Instead of using napkins or paper towels for windows and things, I use some of my cleaning rags. They work just as well ( especially if your using hot water & vinegar ) and can be used over & over - just toss them in the wash.

I do have unlimited LD on my phone but only cause my mom is LD even though shes only about 20 miles from here. I just limit my calls to nights and weekends & make them 15 min or less. Our cells are Tracphones- we pay as we go. If one of us runs out of minutes before payday, oh well. Joey hasnt had time on his phone in 3 weeks cause we cant afford it. I use mine when I leave the house only for emergencies & so the schools can contact me. The internet is a neccessity. Not only to keep me in touch w/ everyone here but for schoolwork, research ( Im trying to trace our families geneology again. ) Also my best friend lives in TN, my brother & SIL in CO, sister 7 partner in CT, aunts in SC, FL & NJ, friends all over ..its how we all keep in touch w/o paying an arm & a leg.

I go to the library every week & only buy a book IF I can afford it and its an author Im collecting like Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Anne Bishop.

I do only 1 wash a day & now that its nicer, Im going to be hanging out. I try to get a ham once a week or 2 cause after dinner theres enough for sandwiches for Mikes lunch the rest of the week. Same w/ a large roast....after his plate is made up, I slice the rest for lunch. Of course w/ roasts or venison its hard......Lanie is a meat eater & loves to munch on it.

1 cup of baking soda - mix in 5-7 drops of lemon oil or juice - stir well & let sit in a closed container for 24 hours. ---Theres carpet freshner for 1/3 of the price.

I cant think of anything else. Just want to share some ideas since you all shared so many great ones!! :cwds:

[Big Hair Momma]

I utilize the Busy Cooks Pyramid from Menus 4 Moms. It has saved me hundreds of dollars on our food budget. She also has a free weekly menu with a shopping list. I have found it to be an invaluable tool with rising food costs. Below are the tips from each level. To see the actual pyramid and to read more from the site, follow the link below.

www.menus4moms.com



Level I - Cooking for the Freezer
Cooking for the freezer is the biggest time-saving technique for Busy Cooks, so it is the base of the pyramid. Experienced cooks know that dinner in the freezer is like money in the bank. Some cookbooks even refer to this technique as "investment cooking".

Here's what I do to make investment cooking easy and painless. Once a week, usually during the weekend, I find the time to make a triple amount of a recipe that freezes well. It doesn't take that much longer to make a double or triple amount of a dish, than a single amount. Two of the three are frozen for the future, and the third I refrigerate for weekday enjoyment. This weekend cooking doesn't take much time. It may be as little as 15 minutes (for something like Pork Barbecue made in the crockpot) or as much as 1 hour and 15 minutes (for Lasagna), for 3 main dish meals. I add two main dish meals to my freezer each week, so I can pull two different, previously made main dish meals from my freezer each week. For this one bout of cooking, I get three different ready weekday meals! That's a great return on the investment! Each weekend I focus on a different major ingredient, rotating through poultry, beef, meatless, seafood, etc. This gives me a nice selection of ready made meals in my freezer at all times.

It will initially take you 4 - 6 weeks of this weekly cooking to stock your freezer with a good variety of meals. Then, as long as you continue to make one tripled recipe a week for freezing, you will always have a supply of ready-made main dishes on hand. I always have 30 - 40 in my freezer at any one time. And all it takes is about an hour a week!


Level II - Planned Leftovers
Level One of the Busy Cooks Pyramid (Cooking For The Freezer) takes care of three weekday meals with just a small weekly investment of time. Level Two, Planned Leftovers, will provide one weekend dinner plus one or more weekday meals.

Cook a big meal one day and use the leftovers as the basis for one or two additional meals later in the week. Ham on Sunday and ham casserole on Tuesday. A roast turkey on one day results in Turkey Tetrazzini and Turkey Salad on other days.


Level III - Quick & Easy Dishes
Level One of the Busy Cooks Pyramid (Cooking For The Freezer) takes care of three weekday meals with just a small weekly investment of time. Level Two, (Planned Leftovers), provides one weekend dinner plus one or more weekday meals. Levels III, IV, and V will help you fill in any remaining meals.

The mainstay of every busy cook's repertoire is a collection of recipes for quick dishes that practically make themselves. The trick behind these recipes is that they do more than just provide fast food. They take advantage of easily prepared, quick-cooking ingredients and minimum equipment so you are in and out of the kitchen fast. Keep a list of the easiest dishes that are family favorites. Always having the ingredients on hand for these dishes is an effective way to prevent eating out when you are running late or have an especially busy afternoon.


Level IV - Fast Ingredients
There are certain ingredients that are the busy cook's best friends and should always be on hand in your cupboard, freezer or refrigerator for quick meals. These staples have several advantages in common. They are basic, but very versatile, so they can be dressed up or down. They are popular with young and old alike. As a bonus, they generally tend to be inexpensive. Most important, they are quick and easy to prepare. Make sure that your pantry is stocked with these items at all times. For me, they include chicken broth, rice, pasta, canned or frozen meat and vegetables, cheese, and cream of chicken or mushroom soup. With items like these on hand I can put together a pot of soup or a casserole that will go from preparation to table in 20-30 minutes.


Level V - Tools & Techniques
Kitchen appliances and cooking techniques have come a long way since our mothers' days. All these hi-tech gadgets and cooking methods can save you lots time in the kitchen. Here are some tools and techniques that the busy cook shouldn't be without! Without planning the use of these tools and techniques into your day, they will sit useless on the counter. An article I read pointed out that while we do not have servants like the Proverbs 31 woman, these tools are the modern day equivalent to the "servants" mentioned in Proverbs 31. By giving your "servants" their instructions for the day, you allow them to serve you while you attend to other matters. This was an enlightening revelation to me and has motivated me to make more consistent use of these electronic "servants".

Microwave - my favorite tool for defrosting all those prepared ingredients and meals from the freezer

Crockpot - used weekly and almost always on ballet day when we are gone from 3:30pm until 7:30pm

Bread Machine - I prefer to make large batches of bread by hand, but this can come in handy for those who prefer one loaf at a time and is great for getting pizza dough ready just in time for lunch

Recipe Software - there are many available for purchase or free to download online (just google "recipe software")

Shopping list software - I love this because once I have prices at my local stores programmed into it I can drag and drop my list from a selection of items and it will not only print it by category (saving me time running back to an aisle where I forgot something) but it gives me a total price for the trip right on the list

Grill - good tool for quick meals but also for preparing ingredients for the freezer like grilled chicken or vegetables

Pressure Cooker - although this isn't one of my personal favorites it is useful and some cooks couldn't live without the convenience of a pressure cooker



Making consistent use of the five levels of the Busy Cooks' Pyramid will free up valuable time and ease the pressure on your at mealtime. Knowing that there are extra meals in the freezer, that your "servants" are at work for you, or that you have fast ingredients on hand cuts down on trips through the drive-thru or take-out. Having few last minute preparations to put a nice quick and well-balanced meal on the table also allows your children or spouse to easily help out when you cannot be home at meal preparation time. Enjoy the freedom that the Busy Cooks' Pyramid can bring to your life!

[Lee]

On the vinegar theme - I also use it as a rinse for my hair once a week to remove build-up - I used to buy expensive build-up remover shampoos, but they left my hair dry.

Vinegar leaves it soft, shiny, and great looking!

I mix a cup - 1/2 and 1/2 with vinegar and water, pour it in my hair, rub like I am shampooing, and rinse. No smell.

[StillMamamia]

Just thought of another in case it applies to anyone...

If you've got dial-up, CUT down on the amount of internet connecting...

I just got our phone bill...:eek: and I'm on dial-up...so, I should listen to my own advice.

[kiwikid]

If you've got dial-up, CUT down on the amount of internet connecting...


Thats just cruel :p

[musicjunkie]

I started my first veggie garden:D
and stopped buying Dunkins and started making my own:(I REALLY loved my DD
My kids also have been taking the bus to school.
I also stopped being 'lazy' and no longer buy the individual snacks and also am buying more generic(except ketchup,you cannot have generic ketchup).
If you think about it,(almost) everything you need is on the outer walls of a grocery store,even most sale items are on the ends.Stick to a list and coupons are good.
I also ditched my pay channels(no more Flight of the Conchords for me until DVD)
It doesn't help any of you guys but I also had my boyfriend move in with us,it's only been a few months and we're still balancing out our groove but it's lightened up my financial burdens(trust me,I was pretty house poor and to the point of mental meltdown)
My biggie is I just bought a clothes line,not sure how much it's gonna save on electricity but I'm guessing/hoping it'll be a chunk;)
I also didn't put my RV on the road this year:(

[musicjunkie]

Just thought of another in case it applies to anyone...

If you've got dial-up, CUT down on the amount of internet connecting...

I just got our phone bill...:eek: and I'm on dial-up...so, I should listen to my own advice.
I love your witty sense of humor...not that your phone bill is a funny situation:rolleyes:

[CJ's Mom]

I use baking soda and water on my ceramic cook top. Dampen the cook top, sprinkle on baking soda, let sit for a few minutes and most of the black crusty stuff wipes off. With the stubborn spots I make a paste with baking soda and water and scrub the spot. Wipe off with clean water and it looks brand new.

To clean the microwave after an a certain teen has let things explode,:cool: I boil about a cup of water in the microwave which loosens the dried on food and wipe clean.

[shekov]

My biggest vice is eating out so I PLAN AHEAD a date and restaurant to eat at then have something to look forword to rather than grabbing a meal quickly that I don't really enjoy.
I only use vinegar, baking soda and water to clean unless it's something really icky. AND I don't clean often. ;)
Our only vacations are to friends and relatives homes where we try to help out in some way while visiting (weeding the garden, paint a room) and don't expect to be fed and entertained on their dime. Our home is always open to them as well.
Search out free activities. Our zoo has a few free days each year, tons of great parks, museums usually have free days too.
Two things I can't give up are the internet and cell phone. At this point they are links to the world and my sanity!!