Cutting living expenses...

[Laura's Babies]

The experts tell us our costs are going up but wages will not match the increase. It would be to our advantage to cut $500 from our monthly family budget. This could go to pay increasing energy bills and save for upcoming deep economic recession in 2009.

Please tell us how your family is going to cut out $500 a month in spending.

[RICHARD]

The experts tell us our costs are going up but wages will not match the increase. It would be to our advantage to cut $500 from our monthly family budget. This could go to pay increasing energy bills and save for upcoming deep economic recession in 2009.

Please tell us how your family is going to cut out $500 a month in spending.

Take the biggest family member, put them in a burlap sack and take them to the river?:eek:

These comes from 'experts' who sit in a office earning 100k to ponder things they know nothing about.

Experts has the same number of letters as another word I like to use for idiots.:rolleyes:

[Medusa]

I can't even imagine how to cut back $500 a month. My utilities have gone up, my health insurance premiums have increased, the cost of groceries gets higher every month, my property taxes increased $200 a year, Puddy's subQ fluids went from $22 for 2 bags/lines/6 needles to $29 for the same amount of supplies, one med went from $34 to $48 a month for the cats, gas prices are skyrocketing. My income has stayed the same and I'm now looking for yet another job. Just where do these "experts" suggest I cut back? I'd really like to know. I only eat out on special occasion such as birthdays, etc. I hardly ever go to the movies any more. It's becoming more difficult to visit my son in L.A. because airline tickets are so expensive and the airline that I had perks on is no longer flying from Cleveland. Even a business conference that I've attended every year for several years is out of the question this year because it's an 8 1/2 hour drive and the gas expense would be ridiculous, not to mention hotel accommodations, meals, etc. If I think about it for too long, I get panicky, so I try to just stay on track w/positive affirmations and tell myself that I've been ok this far in life so I need to keep the faith. I feel like I'm no longer living but just existing. This is not where I thought I would be at this time in my life.

[slick]

Hmmmmmm.....cut $500 from my spending. That's insane....unless I quit drinking.:eek::D

[Medusa]

Hmmmmmm.....cut $500 from my spending. That's insane....unless I quit drinking.:eek::D

Interesting. I was thinking of increasing my alcohol intake. W/prices the way they are, I don't drink nearly enough!

[kuhio98]

How much does your cable TV, internet connection and cell phone bill come to each month?

Probably not $500, but those would be the things I would cut first.

[CathyBogart]

I just canceled my motorcycle insurance and I'm going to non-op it for awhile. :(

Oh, and I just got my tubes tied. Should save me LOTS of money in the long run! :D :D :D

[Medusa]

How much does your cable TV, internet connection and cell phone bill come to each month?

Probably not $500, but those would be the things I would cut first.

I suppose most people could do w/out cable TV but we need some type of entertainment; at least I do. The stuff on network TV is mostly reality shows now and who can bear that? Cell phone, sure. Internet, no. I need it for my business, as do a lot of people. Most of us could cut these things out but why should we? We work hard in order to pay for modern conveniences, then have to give them up? It's maddening.

[cassiesmom]

Well, it's just me and Cassie at our house, so I hope we wouldn't have to cut $500 per month. I didn't register for my annual summer singing 'gig' - 20 miles each way for 5 rehearsals and the concert, so I figure that will save around $10 a week in gas and tolls. I can't get rid of cable TV because if I do that, I'll have no reception at all. I could - and should - start bringing my lunch to work more. I've switched some of the light bulbs in my house to CFLs - I'm just changing them all over as the fluorescent bulbs burn out. I hope that will pay off eventually. Sorry, Hallmark, but I'm purchasing greeting cards at the Party Outlet, where they are either 49 or 99 cents. I need to have my auto insurance looked at again, too. My car has 73,000 miles (it's an '02 and I am hoping to get one more year out of it), so I'm sure it's over-insured.

[chocolatepuppy]

Ok, maybe I could cut $50. but that's it! We don't go out, I don't tan, don't get my hair done, (I cut mine and hubby's hair)don't have nails to get done because they're worn to the bone from work where I get very small pay raises every few years and my insurance just keep taking that.:rolleyes:Oh and the one luxury we do have is our favorite pizza once a month, that just went up in price also.:( I guess I could cut back a bit on the $$$ I spend on my furkids and fish.:o

[Medusa]

We don't go out, I don't tan, don't get my hair done, (I cut mine and hubby's hair)don't have nails to get done

I consider these to be luxuries. Ok, maybe not the tanning and nails but hair? I can't even cut my own toenails (kidding). I can't imagine cutting my own hair. Some people are talented that way, I know, but I'm not one of them. I'm too bloody old to wear long hair. The people that I feel the most compassion for are the elderly and young people, especially those trying to raise a family. How in the world can they afford to take the kids to a ball game or an amusement park? Sure, we can always find things to do at home but life is meant to be LIVED WITH ENJOYMENT and that includes an occasional luxury and some good times where we're not always pinching pennies and having buyers' remorse because we splurged on a good meal or a new pair of shoes. Imagine the young teenager who's been looking forward to the day when s/he gets a drivers' license and asks the parents if s/he can take the car for the evening. Standard answer used to be "Make sure you fill the tank". How can the average teenager do that? Does s/he have an extra $50 or so for that plus the expense of dating? How can they afford the car insurance? I'm sorry to rant but it's just infuriating that we have to freeze in the winter, sweat in the summer, stay home because we can't afford to go anywhere and now that we're staying home, they want us to cut back on things that would ordinarily keep us sane until conditions improve!

[Laura's Babies]

Interesting answers so far.. I love this one!

Hmmmmmm.....cut $500 from my spending. That's insane....unless I quit drinking.

I already have went just about bare bones due to how I work. I only have basic cable and DSL light because of how much I am gone. I see no sense is having the best of the best since I think of it as me paying twice as much for the months I do use these services. My house phone is just plain Jane basic service too.

I have worked extra hard these last 5 or so years to get everything paid off so when I retire, I will be debt free and I been stashing everything I can into savings so I can get myself set up on private property like I want, porches for the kitties and me, a roof built over the house, ect..

Now, I am even wondering if I will be able to retire when I wanted to. I just find it odd that this is hitting just when it is time for us baby boomers to start retiring, God help the ones that already have! Our retirement will not have the "umph" we thought it would.

[Taz_Zoee]

I could cut about $300 a month if I found a job closer to home (gas). BUT..I am lazy! I look.....sorta. I do get my nails done, but that will go away only if it means I have to live in a box in the alley. My hair only gets done about 2 or 3 times a year, and my hairdresser is also a friend so he gives me great rates. If Bruce didn't work from home we'd save on energy bills (cooling and heating the house all day).
There are many ways we can save and we will probably end up doing them here soon. :(

[kuhio98]

I suppose most people could do w/out cable TV but we need some type of entertainment; at least I do. The stuff on network TV is mostly reality shows now and who can bear that? Cell phone, sure. Internet, no. I need it for my business, as do a lot of people. Most of us could cut these things out but why should we? We work hard in order to pay for modern conveniences, then have to give them up? It's maddening.Nobody's saying you should have to give them up. But, if it's a choice between feeding my kids/pets or entertainment, I'll choose to give up entertainment.

[Freedom]

The experts tell us . . . to cut $500 from our monthly family budget.

Per MONTH??? That is a bit over 25%! I'm not sure I can come even close to it. I already have a bare bones budget, to make sure Dad has things easy, gets everything he wants and needs with no hassle. He's worked for it, Lord knows, putting up with, raising my brother and me. He wants to drive an hour to see his sister? We GO! I want to go across town to see a friend? Phone call has to do.

[Scooter's Mom]

At this point, with the price of gas where it is now, hubby and I are spending $600 a month just commuting. When we moved here 3 1/2 years ago, it was $250/$300 at the most. We're eating the bare minimum, neither of us get our hair done (Mine has not been cut in over a year), our only luxury is once a week we spend more than $5 on dinner. MY luxury is my blood pressure medication and my migraine medication - those are $55 a month.

I am looking to rehome Charlie and Jingle Belle, and Oreo too. No, I don't want to do it. I do want them to have the food and medical care they deserve in case something happens.

We can't sell our house. It's gone down $48,000 since we bought it. Thank you, housing market. Also, since we moved here, my husbands office has moved further away TWICE. His round trip drive is 105 miles a day. Mine is 90. However, if we carpool - which we do - it's 150.

Yes, we did this to ourselves - buying a house far from downtown Phoenix. We bought where we could afford to at the time. Never did we expect the housing market to crap out like it has.

Each night I go to bed shaking, just hoping something happens that is GOOD in life... money on the sidewalk, a long lost relative dies and leaves us in their will, something - anything.

I have to have the internet in order to go to school. Our basic cable is in our HOA fees. My water/sewer is $80+ a month - oh, and it's contaminated water. We can't drink it. Boiling it makes it worse. They recommend we don't even bathe in it...

I can't find an extra $10 to cut out, let alone $500.

[Cookiebaker]

Along the same lines, I cannot BELIEVE how expensive groceries are now! I used to pay $60 for a large grocery shopping that would last us about 2 weeks. For the same thing, it is now costing me $120+/- Unbelievable.

For example, to compare approximately one year ago until now:

Pasta: I used to pay $.33/pound. It now goes on sale for $1.00/pound
Half&Half: I used to pay $.79/pint. Now it is $1.69
Lettuce: Used to be $.99/head Now its $1.49/head
Milk: Used to be $1.99/gallon Now its 3.99 per gallon

I worry about the young single moms, the elderly, the people who already struggle to make ends meet. How in the world can we continue like this??? :(

[Catty1]

Oh boy...wow...I don't drink or smoke; gee, the only area I could cut $$ is on gas for the car...I am doing that a bit by cutting down on outings to the city, unless it is for work (housecleaning).

I could also walk more in town...I used to do it all the time. Lazy now? I don't know what happened - though I use to work right in town so that part was easy.

I wish I could telecommute - work from home - but don't know if that would be feasible with my job.

[Karen]

We can't sell our house. It's gone down $48,000 since we bought it. Thank you, housing market. Also, since we moved here, my husbands office has moved further away TWICE. His round trip drive is 105 miles a day. Mine is 90. However, if we carpool - which we do - it's 150.

I hope, for your sake, that the housing market recovers in your area soon, and that you don't have to move. I love when "talking heads" say things like "cut $500 out of your monthly budget" when they have no idea what our monthly budgets even are, and where our money is being spent.

Would your husband's company agree to some sort of transportation pay, since they are the ones that moved the office, not you!

[Sevaede]

Like many others, that's just not feasible. :( I absolutely *MUST* have the internet. Starting here recently, it is the ONLY method that my school uses to get in to contact with people regarding anything including bills and such On top of that my husband will be doing at-home schooling and work here shortly. That is the only luxury we have. :(

I couldn't even imagine having a kid right now. o_o

[Medusa]

Nobody's saying you should have to give them up. But, if it's a choice between feeding my kids/pets or entertainment, I'll choose to give up entertainment.

Well, of course!

[Jessika]

I'm already barely scraping by as it is, and I don't have rent or utilities to pay for... gas prices ALONE are already hitting me hard with the 60 mile rount-trip to school 5 days out of the week (sometimes seven). /sigh

It's depressing.

[Scooter's Mom]

I hope, for your sake, that the housing market recovers in your area soon, and that you don't have to move. I love when "talking heads" say things like "cut $500 out of your monthly budget" when they have no idea what our monthly budgets even are, and where our money is being spent.

Would your husband's company agree to some sort of transportation pay, since they are the ones that moved the office, not you!


Karen, unfortunately no. We've tried. We've also tried getting them to allow him to switch to either 4 10 hr shifts or work from home 1-2 days per week (It's possible, easily!) At the moment it is not possible.

My office would allow me to work 4 10-hr shifts, but with him not able to, it isn't feasible. :(

[Catlady711]

I see so much of people getting a bit of extra money/raise and they always seem to find something to spend it on, rather than banking it. For every time the income increases, so does the lifestyle. It's an easy trap to fall into and a hard one to fight. So many things today seem like necessities when they are in fact luxuries we convince ourselves we 'deserve'. Instead of working to make a living, we end up working to keep up with the lifestyle. All we really need in life is a roof over our heads, food enough to eat, clothes to cover ourselves with, and a means to achieve that. That brand new model ipod, or new release DVD, or whatnot are simply luxuries, desireable ones, but still luxuries.

Neither hubby or I are clothes horses (or trendy for that matter), I don't wear make up or do up my nails, we vary rarely drink, we don't do clubs, we don't subscribe to any magazines or get the newspaper (I get the news online for free and don't have to worry about disposing of the papers), I drive my car until it gets too expensive to fix (although I do buy brand new ones), we have a Christmas club account at the bank (putting small amounts each week in a savings acct.) and don't go over budget when we buy gifts. All of this we do out of choice, even if we had a million dollars we'd probably not change any of those things other than maybe up the Christmas club amount a bit.

http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic.htm

That site has helped me cut my grocery bills in half without really sacrificing the occasional goodies. I mostly buy things on sale unless I just can't stock up on it or HAVE to have it now to make something else. I keep a stocked pantry and freezer. I also made a price book per suggestions in the site. I belong to a warehouse store that I go to about every 2-3 months, I only go to the grocery store once every 2 weeks.

My electric bill was cut by more than half when I started analizing appliances. I got rid of the aging dehumidifyer for the basement and just use a fan instead (not as effective but it's much cheaper), got a new fridge, and switched all my bulbs to compact florescents (sp?). The landlord did also replace almost all the windows with new energy efficient ones (of course the insulation in the house is almost nonexistent but still it was an improvement). I do have an A/C unit but it's an aging monster window one that was given to us for free. We only run that a few days a year when the temp is near 90, otherwise we use alot of fans.

I changed internet services, and dropped my home phone (cell's only now). That alone saved me $20 a month.

Hubby and I both live close to work so the vehicle doesn't wrack up a whole lot of miles compared to some. It is a gas hog so even errands are combined and planned out to minimize driving. I also combine errands with my mom to conserve fuel, I give her part for gas and she drives (her vehicle is somewhat better on fuel). No extra trips unless we can stop along the way for other things we need, otherwise whatever it is can just wait a while.

We don't rent movies unless it's for Christmas or Thanksgiving, the rest of the time we get them from the library. My books come from the used book store and when I'm done I take them back for a partial credit towards more books.

We have a garden, but we don't do canning, just some occasional freezing of corn/green beans, and the onions go in a bag for storage.

During the winter we rarely go anywhere, so the savings from gas gets put in an envelope for summer trips/vacations.

Our budget is figured by putting in certain amounts every week (regardless of how many weeks are in that month). Any extra accumulating stays put to give a cushion for short paychecks, higher utilities etc. Currently we have enough stocked away that we could easily survive for 2-3 months without changing our lifestyle one iota if BOTH of us were out of work. 4-5 months if only ONE of us was out of work. That's not counting our longer term CD's which ain't no fortune but it is growing. It's still not as much of a cushion as I'd like to have but it's a cushion nonetheless.

When the vehicle got paid off we took the money we were putting towards car payments and split it. Half went to savings and other utilities, the other half goes in the checking towards the down payment on the next car. Since we were used to making that payment anyways we didn't miss the money each paycheck. I also get discounts on multi policies and safe driving.

I have several credit cards (for different uses) but I only use them if I already have the money and pay them off in full every time.

I have cheap rent, get discounts for my cat's food/healthcare granted, that does help alot.


We certainly don't live a super frugal lifestyle though....
I own 7 cats
We pay $50 per month in cable (no movie channels or digital though)
The cell phones total $72 per month (huge minutes package)
We both smoke (I don't need any lectures)
We go to the local dirt racing track every weekend all summer long
We go on at least 3 vacations a year (tent camping and within 2-9 hrs driving distance)
We both have a horrible soda pop addiction
I'm a horrible electronics gadget person (I'm learning to curb that though)

However IF it was necessary for us to come up with an additional $500 a month it wouldn't be a huge stretch to come up with it without working additional hours. Granted we'd have to cut a few things back or out but certainly not all the luxuries. After all $500 a month is only $125 per week or $17 per day. A few less goodies at the grocery store, the cheaper seats at the racetrack or miss a few races now and again, no pizza once a month, no stopping at micky d's out of laziness every so often, and drink one less 2 liter of soda per week and it would be easy to come up with an additional $500.

Think of things this way (approximately)...

One $1.00 (cheap) 2 liter soda per week (or one value menu item at micky d's) = $52 per year

One pizza a month (about $20) = $240 per year

One video rental per week = $208 per year

I could go on but you get the idea, that's $500 per year by just foregoing one pizza with soda and video now and again.

A better way to think of it is this...

How many hours would I have to work to pay for this item/service?



Anyways I'm a natural born cheapskate, I'm not always frugal, nor do I live a simplistic lifestyle, but apparently compared to other people I know I'm a cheapie I guess.

Sorry for the mini novel.

[cyber-sibes]

$500 a month? Wow, the "experts" must live in a parallel universe to mine!
We're working on cutting $500 a year.

Be sure to check through your junk mail. Hubby followed up on one of the auto insurance offers & got us better coverage for $300 less a year.

We've made some changes - We almost never go out to eat anymore. We used to do that 2 or 3 times a week. Now we only go out to eat 3 or 4 times a month. We don't go out to movies much either, but we do have cable & internet. I use the internet for my work every day, so it stays.

We pretty much only drive if we have a specific reason/destination. No more "just for fun" trips. Fortunately hubby's work is only 4 miles away, and I work from home (love that 0 mile walk from the other room!) I do feel sorry for those who are stuck with long commutes. :(

I don't know how young families make it these days.

[RICHARD]

Here's a hint.

If things get tougher and you have to choose between entertainment and feeding the kids, Feed the kids by forcing them to perform skits and sing for their meals.:D

When we were kids we were forced to read and listen to the radio for fuin.;)

[Jessika]

When we were kids we were forced to read and listen to the radio for fuin.;)

And the library is free :)

[Karen]

And the library is free :)

When I was a kid, we were not allowed to buy books - as the house already had at least one full bookcase in every room, including the basement, attic and upstairs hallway ... but I had four library cards of my own by the time I was ten! That solved the cost and storage problem.

We are fortunate - our library is within walking distance and carries movies and music, too.

For those who want current releases, http://redbox.com has movies for $1 a day if they are in your area!

[Rachel]

We both smoke (I don't need any lectures)

No lecture, but I do think you should figure out and list what those cigarettes are costing you....just to be fair here.

[Jessika]

No lecture, but I do think you should figure out and list what those cigarettes are costing you....just to be fair here.

I don't smoke but my vice is Cherry Coke... 2 - 3 cans a day... one 12 pack lasts me between 4 and six days, at $3.50 a case, that's roughly $17.50 - $26.50 a month, sometimes more. Which isn't much when you think about it but yearly that's anywhere from $210 - $318, which is easily a car and/or truck payment for me lol

[kuhio98]

We both smoke (I don't need any lectures)

Once my sister and her husband sat down and calculated that they spend $3,700 a year on cigarettes. :eek:

Unfortunately, they're both so addicted that they haven't even tried to quit.

I am soooooooooooo glad I never started smoking.

[Cincy'sMom]

IWe go to the local dirt racing track every weekend all summer long


Really? I'm jealous! I love dirt racing!!! We have a few local tracks not too far from us, but the cloest track (Toledo Speedway) is asphalt. Still fun, but I love the dirt!!!

Sorry...you wrote a novel and I focus on one minor detail! Shows where my money goes, huh?

I wouldn't like it, but I guess I am lucky to say I could cut $500 a month and survive...I quit going out to lunch and stared packing, (more to loose weight then save money) but I probablly save $100/month right there. If Ralph did the same, maybe we are close to $200. Yes, I would have a hard time giving up my sports and radio and TV, but yeah, if push came to shove...I think I could cut at least $500/month.
(And with Ralph working for automotive, we may get to that point!!!!)

[Sevaede]

I am aware that internet is a luxury. HOWEVER, I *HAVE* to have it for school. My school REQUIRES it. It is the ONLY form of communication that they use. It is the way they require you to pay for everything. It is the required way to add and drop classes, etc. etc. I am not willing to sacrifice what I am working so hard to obtain. :(

I do have a savings and a checking in to which I deposit whatever, whenever. :) (50-100 every payday was what I used to do).

[Emeraldgreen]

I think keeping the internet and finding other items to cut that are in the entertainment category makes sense. We spend quite a bit of time online and though we pay 45.00 per month for the service we don't go out much and save alot that way. We're homebodies anyway. :)

We used to spend lots of money on coffees when we were out grocery shopping and running errands but we've limited that to a few a month now.

We plan out our meals for 2 weeks the day before we go to the store and then we end up making less spontaneous purchases which usually cost alot.

We buy meat and cheese in bulk and then cut it into small portions and vacuum pack it and freeze it. Save some real money there.
I also make larger meals and freeze half for another night.

We've been unplugging stuff like our toaster and lamps and turning off our power bar that our computer is connected to at night. Apparently energy is being used with them just being plugged in. Our electric bill has gone down.

Cats have been getting wet food every other day instead of every day. They don't seem to mind. It's just a treat anyway and I use one can of cat tuna for 9 cats. I pour one can into a bowl and add about 1/2 a cup of water and mix really well. They love the juice. One can costs less than .60 cents at the petstore so three times a week for 9 cats is 1.80. That doesn't include their dry food though which is ridiculously expensive. They are on Wellness holistic Healthwise which is 39.99 for 8 pounds or so. Crazy.

We rent movies sometimes from the library. They often have english sitcoms on tape as well.

And to make some extra money, I've been selling clothes and shoes that I hardly ever wear to a few different consignment shops. I usually collect about 100.00 a month with this.

[Suki Wingy]

I just found out my county now has the #1 highest sales tax in the country, thanks to a recent tax hike! :eek::eek: :( Good thing I'm moving soon!

[Medusa]

This thread has really opened my eyes. I've learned a lot of good ways to save money and cut back, whether or not I feel the necessity. Thank you for all your good comments, everyone. :)

[jennielynn1970]

And the library is free :)

Our public library is free to borrow books, however, if you want to reserve something it's $0.50, there are late fees and fines, and you have to pay to rent a movie, sound track or anything other than a book from there. It's the same in the public library in the next town. They've had their budgets cut, so they have to figure out some way to make up money since they are non-profits (technically).

[Laura's Babies]

This thread has really opened my eyes. I've learned a lot of good ways to save money and cut back, whether or not I feel the necessity. Thank you for all your good comments, everyone.

Me too! I see it coming to that for all of us. We are all going to have to make adjustments to our spending habits before it is over with. A lot of businesses are going to shut down, people will be without jobs and traffic jams are going to taper way down. The way we have wasted and thrown away stuff will be so much less. The biggest industry I see being effected will be the fast food places. Starbucks has already announced the closing of 600 of their stores, putting 12,000 people out of jobs. This is just the beginning...

[Scooter's Mom]

I cut back my 401k today. Instead of 7%, it's only got 5% going to it for now. That will bring in a small amount (not even a whole tank of gas) of money each month.

It will be enough to buy all the pets food - maybe not the food from the vet's office they've been eating... but it'll buy a decent quality food for them.

But, ya do what ya gotta.

[Jessika]

Our public library is free to borrow books, however, if you want to reserve something it's $0.50, there are late fees and fines, and you have to pay to rent a movie, sound track or anything other than a book from there. It's the same in the public library in the next town. They've had their budgets cut, so they have to figure out some way to make up money since they are non-profits (technically).

Of course, there are late fees and fines for not returning materials at my library, too, but if you just want to walk in and get some reading material that you can read within the check-out time (normally two weeks, here), then it's 100% free. If you return the materials on time, again its 100% free.

To reserve something doesn't cost anything here though, well it used to be that way, they may have changed it since I was a kid but from what I remember it didn't cost a thing.

Your first library card is free, but if you lose it I think it costs $10 to get a replacement.


As a kid during summers my parents worked and all we had for transportation was our bikes. The library was definitely a long ride from my house, but we would regularly ride our bikes up there once every two weeks and check out as many books as we could carry. It was our form of summer entertainment and for us as kids it was free :)

It really sucks that yours has started charging fees, though. I mean it makes sense if they need the funds (our library has a giftshop) but still kinda sucks :(

[RICHARD]

IF you want to freak out get a note book and keep track of everything you spend......You may have to guesstimate things like electric, gas and such but you see that you can cut corners in the most mundane areas.

----------------------

My mom complains about the water and power bill but she refuses to turn off the lights. I go thru her house and turn off lights and she gets a terrible attitude. She's losing her sight and that doesn't help.I changed the bulbs in her house to the CFC or whatever they are and you would have thought I was trying to sabotage her house.

Also my nephew moved in with her and I have walked by his room and he has a stereo with a broken on and off switch, so it stays on all the time-he also runs the TV, stereo, computer and window fan at the same time..while he is on the phone!

I try to tell him to power down the stuff he doesn't need and he goes to my mom and complains-So, I really can't do anything!

[Sevaede]

Eye opening, indeed! :) I'm a savings nut and I've learned and come up with a bunch of little ways for us to conserve and save. :D I don't know what we would do if water, sewer, and garbage weren't covered in the rent.

What's really sad is both of the libraries here require a rather large fee for cards! :eek:

[Karen]

Oh, here's one that is small, but will add up over time. Two of the grocery store chains here have instituted a policy that, if you bring your own bag, they refund you 5 cents per bag. Now, you can spend money and buy the fancy "reusable bags" so everyone can see you are "echo-friendly," or you can just reuse the cheap plastic bags other stores give you whether or not you ask for them.

[4 Dog Mother]

I love to read but with all the various things going on in my life, I really don't like using the library because I don't always find the time to read the books I borrow and often forget to return them by their due date. Although the fine is small, it can add up.

But what I am doing and I like a lot is buying from used book stores - and in fact, I can hardly bring myself to even buy a new book from Wal-Mart or any of the other places that discount them. At both used book stores, they give you credit for bringing old books in. The one here in town doesn't take or sell hard backs and she doesn't give quite as much credit per book that the one in Toledo does. She also has red and white credit - the white being for more recent books and so costing a bit more. So to get white credit you have to bring in more recent books that can go to buying more recent books. The great thing about this book store is that if you have enough credit you can get books basically free. Since my mom also reads but doesn't want to mess with getting rid of the books, she gives me hers to get credit for.

The other book store gives you credit for half the price of the book cost. Then you use your credit but also have to pay a portion of the book's price. So it turn's out you pay cash for 1/4 the cost of the original price of the book. They also take hard back books - the price of any hard back book though is just $2.50 - which means $1.25 cash and $1.25 credit. Because they give out the larger amount of credit per book, your credit for the 1/4 of the price of the book adds up quickly - I think I have close to $500 worth of credit.

There is also a store called Half Price books that is located in many bigger cities like Columbus and Cincinnati (I know there is one in Phoenix too but I am not sure where else.) There most of their books are half price but some are even less but the most recent hard back ones are figured some other way so they can be more. But they also have a clearance section where books can be bought for 50 cents to $2.00. It is not always old or unknown author books that are on clearance either. I think rather it depends on how many copies of the book that are coming in. Anyway this is my way of saving some money.

[smokey the elder]

The problem with reusing the plastic bags is that they rip out at the belly seams if you carry anything heavy in them. I use them to scoop pre-owned kitty litter into.:p

I'm surprised that no one mentioned warehouse clubs or coupons. Using both of these can add up to a bundle. I haven't done an in-depth calculation, but I figure I save 5-10%/unit by using coupons for such basics as cat food, kitty litter and TP. I have always looked for the best buy (I'm still a broke grad student at heart.) We buy very little pre-made stuff and mostly do our own cooking, and sometimes the cost per meal is staggeringly low. It's always a tradeoff between time and money.

I'm not looking forward to buying heating oil this winter *shudders*. At least my electrical is from nuclear, and the price has been pretty stable.

[RICHARD]

I'm not looking forward to buying heating oil this winter *shudders*. At least my electrical is from nuclear, and the price has been pretty stable.

Isn't having a nuclear reactor in your house kinda scary?:D


I check the sunday papers all the time for coupons-IT's finding out which stores that carry the items I clip for that gets me!