I thought it would be nice to share different ways you've found to save money. We've done several things to help us save on the grocery bill. I'd also love to learn some new ways to save. Here are mine: l. make own dishwasher detergent and laundry soap. 2.bought 1/4 beef from local farmer so we don't have to buy meat at the store. 3. my husband hunts and we can or freeze the meat. 4. I canned applesauce and pears when in season. Also can soup when we have leftover homemade soup. 5. I save the bread ends to make my own bread crumbs (season them with italian seasonings, salt, pepper) Please share what you have done!
I do all the same and - save my bread ends for bread pudding wash my baggies and hang them on the cupboard door to reuse. My dd painted clothes pins really neat colors to hang them with. I have a garden so I either freeze or can most vegetables. I buy in bulk from sams club. I rendered the fat from our pig when we butchered so I have my own shortening. I unplug anything not being used. We have an outside wood boiler and have it plumbed to our hot water heater so we don't have to pay on our electric bill. I bought a dyson vacuum - no vacuum cleaner bags to buy. I'm sure their is alot more but I just can't think of them right now.
Buying meat on sale and freezing it. Right now, I can buy boneless chicken breast at $1.76/lb, compared to hamburger on sale at $2.50/lb.
we simply switched from Safeway grocery store to the wal-mart nighborhood market, we save at least $50 a month on groceries. (we do buy meat some where else). we buy pre filled water bottles (for drinking) then we wash and re-use them some times I fill them with iced tea that we have left over at night. we buy pork loin and cut it for pork chops, there usually is one end that is better than the other we use the other end for bbq pork in the crock pot.
Great! Keep them coming - I need to keep cutting costs as I'm sure lots of others do too! I forgot the one about unplugging things not being used - gotta go unplug some stuff!.....
We have a new market here called Fresh and Easy ( its in Nevada, Calif and Arizona right now) and for every $30 you spend you get $6.00 off your bill instantly. Also after 3 pm all of their clearence food is 75% off, so I buy meat and veggies there at that time and freeze it. I get a package of Ahi tuna steaks for $2.00 (2 in a pack) , ribeyes for $1.75, bacon wrapped chicken breast for $2.00 ( 4 to a pack), so I get some real bargins that way. They also have a discount aisle for boxed/canned foods. I get boxes of cookie mix, scones and quick breads for as low as 65 cents each. I just got 3 packages of applesauce cups ( 6 to a package) for 50 cents each! I buy my zip lock bags, foil, plastic wrap, sponges, dish soap, body lotion, shampoo/cond. wrapping paper, tape, at the Dollar Tree. I re-use food contains for craft stuff, science experiments or to hold food in. I buy certain things in bulk, like hot cocoa ( a container that has 96 servings is $6.00 ), ice tea bags, coffee, paper towels, toliet paper, vinegar , baking soda, spices , juice, socks, undies, at Sam's Club ( it comes out cheaper per item , if not I don't buy it there). I also buy gasoline there and get my pictures printed there also. I shop WalMart for shoes ( I just got some nice workout shoes for all 4 of us at $8.00 each). I might buy some clothes there but only if they are at least 50% off. I also buy clothes out of season, so when winter is gone we go coat shopping, etc. I buy my movies used and video games are always bought used and we barter with friends for "new" video games also. We borrow CD's from friends to burn and they do the same with us, so we always have new music to listen to. I buy most books/magizines at Sam's club , library sales or the thrift store ( including school books). I also use the library for books on tape/CD's for our car trips. I buy clothes at the thrift store for my whole family. Vegas has some of the best used clothing, a lot of the clothes still have tags on them! When we eat out we use coupons ( from our local coupon book), our Vegas locals discount ( most places on the strip give locals discounts) or go to a place that has kids eat free nights or like Sonic here, its family night on Tuesdays so you get 2 hambugers and 2 fries for $4.00. We also use the coupon book for museums, shows and discount movie tickets. There are also a lot of 2 for 1 show offers for Vegas locals that we use , like for Cirque shows and the magic shows. My air conditioning is set between 81 -83 degrees in the summer, if its below 90 out the air is off altogether. In the winter we have our heater set at 60 degrees, but we haven't turned it on yet, its only 55 during the day and 40 at night so no need for it yet. We just have pants, socks and sweaters on indoors and all the blinds open on the windows that get the sunlight. I combine my sat. dish, phone ( local and unlimited long distance), and high speed internet on one bill. I use Tracphones for my cell. So I pay around $20 every 2 months for minutes. I use Netflix for movies and workout DVD's. I find it cheaper to use them becasue on the cost per movie and no late fee's. We like getting the movies right away or else we would use the library for free. Whenever I can I buy used, including buying items at the pawn shops. I also let friends know when I am searching for something. They usually have it themselves or know someone who has it for sale and I get a great price on it. Another thing that helps is we don't have credit card debt and our cars are paid for.
I buy groceries with CASH. (No, NOT a debit card!) Having the money on me, and "knowing" that once it's gone, I don't have any more helps me be more considerate as to where it's going.
I check out the book "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" from the library about once a year and look through it for some great ideas. I only put 1/2 to 1/3 the amt of detergent in the dishwasher and the laundry. It doesn't take the "full amount", I've learned by trial and error. I strong-arm dh into packing a lunch (or pack it for him) rather than eating out. He is on the road alot (over 2000 miles/month) so he needs the food to be convenient and doesn't have a fridge for storage. I also freeze leftovers for him to take on overnight trips, so he can eat them for dinner. If he was still in an office-type situation, I'd be sending them for his lunch, as well. I buy (most of) my books at library booksales, where they are generally .50-$1. I keep an eye out for ongoing booksales, as well. You can find a list of them in your area at www.booksalefinder.com I can't think of any more off the top of my head, although I know I do them. <sigh> Fridays are the worst days for thinking, LOL. Especially Fridays when dh has been gone since dark-and-early Monday morning. SG
We have wood heat so this year we were going to go and get a permit and cut our own wood Which I think the permit is 20 bucks for a minimum of 2 cords. Instead a friend said that she had a downed tree. The thing was huge so we now have over two cords of wood. I don't drive anywhere unless I absolutely need to. Gas prices have gone down but why waste my now 30 bucks to fill my van? I buy in bulk...tp, paper towels, flour, sugar, canned tomatoes. I also hit the thrift store for books and clothes. My ds is 3 he's a terror on clothes. I don't mind spending 2 bucks on a pair of almost brand new jeans for him to tear up. I think we pretty much outfitted him this year for winter for about 50 bucks and he now has more clothes than anyone in the house. I go to Blockbuster and buy dvd's used. We watch movies more than anything else. I reuse any container that I can. I've used the mayo container recently for my big bulk bag of baking powder. I figured I paid for it, so I put it to use. And the one's from kraft mayo, are great for crayons. Instead of going out to pizza I always make my own. We figured that we can make 2 larges and one medium for less than the price of one super special pizza at a local pizza joint. I make my own ranch dressing using a mix I make myself. Mostly because my ds can't eat regular ranch because it turns his face red where it touched around his mouth. It cost me less than 2 bucks to make enough for 12+ recipes (of the mix) of it. We buy meat when we see it on sale, I don't have a large freezer so we do what we can there. During the summer I close all the blinds in the house and turn on the swamp cooler and it keeps my house pretty cool, then I don't use the central air. We don't have a house phone. We have cell phones as our phones, and they were given to us. And I try to make as much of our food as possible home made.
I make my own cleaners, including dish soap & laundry soap. We use cloth rags, sponges or brushes for most cleaning, instead of paper towels I make most of our food from scratch including bread, pancakes & waffles, pasta We boutght a chest freezer earlier this year, so I can stock up on meat & frozen veggies, and have plenty of room for freezing leftovers & homemade 'convenience foods' Dh takes leftovers for lunch Dh likes to have a snack in his lunch (like pudding), so I buy pudding mix or make homemade pudding & put it in small containers for him to take with lunch We almost never eat out, just about anything we could get at a restaurant I can make at home for less $ (healthier & better tasting too) We have a clothes line for use when it's not snowing or raining (guess I won't be using for a while, since we already have a few inches on the ground) We had to replace our dishwasher, furnace, and thermostat this year, got Energy Star replacements for all, plus have been working on reinsulating our attic to help keep in the heat I shop at thrift stores a lot & buy most of our at ALDI We keep trying to grow our own veggies & some fruit, but nothing will grow in our yard, next year I'm trying container gardening, I do grow herbs inside though We combine errands whenever possible to save time, fuel, and wear on the car We use ceiling fans & have windows open when it's nice out, only turning on the A/C when we really need to (usually when the humidity gets too high), the thermostat is set to mid 65-70 during the winter (I have sinus & respiratory conditions that react to extreme temps & high humidity, so 65 is about as low as I can go) We borrow DVDs & CDs a lot, and if we really want to buy a movie, we wait till it's gone down in price or is on sale instead of rushing out to get it when it first comes out We don't see movies at the theater that often. We used to go to the dollar theater, but they closed it & $30 just for tickets for the 4 of us is more than I'm willing to spend. So, we do family game nights instead We have a membership at the local museum that we visit most often, so we can get in free whenever we want. As long as we go at least 4 times a year, it's worth it. For the other museums, we try to go on their free days. We pay most bills online to save on envelopes & postage I always pull out cash for grocery shopping. I have a set amount we can spend & I pull that out. That way, I don't go over. I'm sure there's other stuff, this is just what I can think of right now.
We have really cut back this year. -We spend $300 per month on groceries, buy almost everything at Aldi's and the rest at Wal Mart. -We use only 1 van, I stay at home and only use the other car for emergencies. -Dh hung a clothes line in the basement to dry clothes, we don't use the dryer - savings 100 KWH per month (compared to last year) -Spending only $100 per child for Christmas (2 children). We also had family pictures taken for the other family members Christmas ($57) -We do not get each other anything for Birthday's or Chirstmas (we do for each other all year round) -We buy most of our clothing at the second hand shop. -We only eat out when we have to, about once a month -Movies and books are all borrowed from the library, we don't buy any movies. -We also buy our gas at Walmart - get $.03 off our gas and it's usually the cheapest in town. -I make our laundry detergent and dish washing soap. I'm sure there are more, but I have to go and make dinner. Keep these coming, I love new ideas. Becoming debt free is right around the corner!!! Yeah!!!!!
I have to agree with the laundry line. I use mine on good days still when it's warm enough to hang a load out there. I love laundry line fresh clothes. Especially sheets!
I tried the clothes line when we first moved in. The dog would pull stuff off! When Rachael was only 3, both dss were at home. They were high school age, so Carl and I went bike riding in the mornings early. Rachael was told to stay in her room and read, and to wake up Jason IN AN EMERGENCY. The first day, she woke him up at 7:00, because the dog had pulled her beach towel off the line and was dragging it all over the yard, lol!!!
I like that story, Jackie. We don't have a dog, but when the children are down the basement, they have a tendency to do that with the sheets. Ugggh!! We have also turned our furnace down to 65 during the day and off at night. We are very well insulated and we have electric quilted pads under our sheets. We turn them on about 1/2 hour before we go to bed and shut it off when we climb in. We stay warm all night. Dh gets up at 6:30am and turns the heat back on to 65, it's warm when we get up. It's 20 degrees right now with a wind chill of 9 degrees. Brrrrrr, but inside our home is toasty.
I bake my own bread. I usually purchase everyday items on sale. We purchase most of our reading books from Salvation Army. I make my own laundry and dishwashing detergent. I shop at WinCo. We wear our clothes a few times before washing them unless they are soiled. Handsome takes a lunch to work. We no longer drink sodas. We use rags instead of paper towels. We use cloth napkins. We use a squeegee instead of paper towels. We purchase toilet paper in bulk when it is on sale. I cook my own beans, save my broth from boiled chicken, and try not to purchase packaged seasoning. I have attempted to make my own deodorant. (I'm still perfecting the recipe! LOL) I purchase chicken when it is sold at the freeze date. This way I only pay $2.88 for what usually costs $10. or more. Vinegar and ammonia have become my best friends when it comes to cleaning; except the bathtub. I still have to use a regular cleaner. I do not use vacuum bags. I recycle some plastic containers. I like to get some fruits and veggies at the dollar store but I find that a lot of the fruit and veggies at WinCo are cheaper. Handsome has a company gas card. PTL!!! I am not careful with how much gas I use. We could also be more cautious with the AC/heater. We do not have a fireplace or stove so last night we had the heater set at 62 and it went on because it was 32 degrees last night. In the summer we get up to 115 so we use the air more than we probably should. I guess these will be areas to work on. We also spend more than we should on gifts.
I just found a recipe for hot cocoa instead of using the packages (like I've been doing): 2 cups nonfat dry milk 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup cocoa dash salt put in blender and blend until fine. (can adjust cocoa and milk to taste)
Patty, for your bathtub cleaner, use the dishwashing soap that you make, what a difference, I also used that on my stove, WOW. It's the best degreaser.
Also, (speaking of bath tubs!) baking soda works well in place of Comet (or whatever you might use!) I was amazed at how well it removed stains from my kitchen counters, and it doesn't scratch.
