timer lady
Queen of Hearts
As I watch the gas & food prices continue to rise, with that the services & such that are supporting those industries & my medical bills things are getting quite tight.
I've always been good at budgeting & cutting back on things. We rarely go out to eat, or order in anymore; I've taken to buying lots of store brand items. Buying in bulk helps; flour, sugar, nuts, sweet treats, etc.
We no longer buy DVDs (no room for storage, they need to be dusted & generally only get watched once, if that); if we want to watch something we rent ~ better yet (& cheaper) we rent from our cable company & enjoy. No late fees.
husband insists I continue to order in groceries though he's going to start picking up produce & meats on the weekends. He also insists that I continue to buy my coffee beans - I had considered going back to Folgers. The rest of deliverable groceries are pretty much in line price wise.
Leftovers get used religiously. I freeze vegies, rice, meats, & other leftovers that won't make an entire meal in a freezer bag & make a batch of soup on a monthly basis (even in summer). Throwing those items in a vegetable broth with seasonings makes a darned good soup; served with a salad & freshly baked bread or biscuits is a good meal.
We've always insisted on buying only what we can afford about here ~ husband & I have one credit card that is paid down monthly. It mostly isn't used; have it for emergency purposes (airline tickets for family emergencies, car repairs, etc.). That's the accountant in me. Our home mortgage has always always been based on one income so we aren't in trouble with that. We don't have a huge gorgeous home but we have an affordable payment. Again, the accountant in me.
As we combine errands, we spend little time running about from place to place; the biggest thing I noted was the savings in "impulse" spending. It's amazing how much we spend on items we wouldn't normally buy, isn't on a list anywhere or even in our radar but buy because it's on an aisle someplace when we're out & about. Especially if we have a tweedle along.
I refuse to buy an HD television set, or upgrade cell phones anymore. There is no need with cable; nor is there a need unless our cell phone company changes something with the network. I can't imagine how many perfectly good tv's are going to be trashed because of the switch to HD broadcasting - what a waste ~ what a crime environmentally.
I've begun mixing my own cleaning supplies ~ much cheaper & better for the environment. Amazing what a bit if baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, borax & a touch of dish soap will clean.
These are things that take little time or energy for me personally. The next step I'm hoping with the time I have is to start baking bread again. The same with making granola & bar cookies. It doesn't take much time to throw these things together & even with the cost of basic baking supplies going up, it's still cheaper than purchasing ready made.
Again, I have the time as many of you working mums do not.
Just wondering what you're doing to save money? I'm sure we've had threads of this nature in the past - just wanted to revisit this topic.
Wondering minds want to know.....
I've always been good at budgeting & cutting back on things. We rarely go out to eat, or order in anymore; I've taken to buying lots of store brand items. Buying in bulk helps; flour, sugar, nuts, sweet treats, etc.
We no longer buy DVDs (no room for storage, they need to be dusted & generally only get watched once, if that); if we want to watch something we rent ~ better yet (& cheaper) we rent from our cable company & enjoy. No late fees.
husband insists I continue to order in groceries though he's going to start picking up produce & meats on the weekends. He also insists that I continue to buy my coffee beans - I had considered going back to Folgers. The rest of deliverable groceries are pretty much in line price wise.
Leftovers get used religiously. I freeze vegies, rice, meats, & other leftovers that won't make an entire meal in a freezer bag & make a batch of soup on a monthly basis (even in summer). Throwing those items in a vegetable broth with seasonings makes a darned good soup; served with a salad & freshly baked bread or biscuits is a good meal.
We've always insisted on buying only what we can afford about here ~ husband & I have one credit card that is paid down monthly. It mostly isn't used; have it for emergency purposes (airline tickets for family emergencies, car repairs, etc.). That's the accountant in me. Our home mortgage has always always been based on one income so we aren't in trouble with that. We don't have a huge gorgeous home but we have an affordable payment. Again, the accountant in me.
As we combine errands, we spend little time running about from place to place; the biggest thing I noted was the savings in "impulse" spending. It's amazing how much we spend on items we wouldn't normally buy, isn't on a list anywhere or even in our radar but buy because it's on an aisle someplace when we're out & about. Especially if we have a tweedle along.
I refuse to buy an HD television set, or upgrade cell phones anymore. There is no need with cable; nor is there a need unless our cell phone company changes something with the network. I can't imagine how many perfectly good tv's are going to be trashed because of the switch to HD broadcasting - what a waste ~ what a crime environmentally.
I've begun mixing my own cleaning supplies ~ much cheaper & better for the environment. Amazing what a bit if baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, borax & a touch of dish soap will clean.
These are things that take little time or energy for me personally. The next step I'm hoping with the time I have is to start baking bread again. The same with making granola & bar cookies. It doesn't take much time to throw these things together & even with the cost of basic baking supplies going up, it's still cheaper than purchasing ready made.
Again, I have the time as many of you working mums do not.
Just wondering what you're doing to save money? I'm sure we've had threads of this nature in the past - just wanted to revisit this topic.
Wondering minds want to know.....