How To Live On Less

Old 11-14-2013, 07:50 PM
  # 21 (permalink)  
Member
 
HopefulinFLA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 976
Do you have a Big Lots store near you? Fantastic deals on all kinds of stuff especially bread ($1.50 for the good stuff), toilet paper ($5 12 pk of double roll), paper towels ($5 for 6 pk of half sheet rolls), laundry soap($6 for the 100 load Sun brand) and cleaning products.

I often go there first before I go to the grocery store.

Also, I bought grocery store coupons, $5 off $30 or more on Ebay. I believe I spent about $9 on 30 of these.

I switched from Sprint, $65+ per month, to Metro PCS at $50.

If you can afford satellite tv, Dish Network seems to have the best deal, at least in my area.

And thrift stores are a life saver, kind of fun too!
HopefulinFLA is offline  
Old 11-14-2013, 07:58 PM
  # 22 (permalink)  
Member
 
HopefulinFLA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 976
Also, I buy the store brand of almost everything I can. Usually the generic product is made by the same company that make the well known brand.

If you buy bottled water by the gallon, save your jugs and refill at a filtered water machine for about 25 cents each.
HopefulinFLA is offline  
Old 11-14-2013, 08:14 PM
  # 23 (permalink)  
Member
 
pixilation's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 756
Contact social services. Not only can you get help from them, but they often have other resources that you can utilize.

In my area, I know where I can get free food once a week, and/or once a month, no referrals necessary. At the once a month place, I can also peruse a free thrift store. There is also a kid's clothes giveaway once a month, again no referral necessary. Free/reduced health care is available at a clinic that utilizes family practice residents. There is also a dental clinic that operates in a similar fashion. Even therapy can be had for free, and the last I heard they even had grant money so you can ride the bus for free , roundtrip, for the appt.


For me, getting rid of entertainment came first. Want to watch a video? go to the library and rent it. Borrow books and read them, utilize the library's internet.

Place to live? I found an inexpensive apartment with heat paid. BEST decision ever.

My car, it's a beater I bought for 1k cash last September. The only thing I've done to it is add oil(small oil leak)

I rarely buy new clothes, even for myself. I garage sale during the summer, with a list of things that are needed. I sew, so I can fix minor problems with clothes(popped seam, no problem for me) which means I can get them for that much less. I put cool patches(that came from old clothes of the kids) in a few pairs of jeans I bought for 25cents each for my 5yo son. So he gets jeans that have yoda and buzz lightyear in the knees, and pants to wear that I got for a steal.

I think it was easier for me, because for the last 9 months or so before I left ex, I wasn't being given grocery money, or any money really. The only pay of his I had access too was his drill pay(before the military discharged him) and that had to pay for school lunches for 2 kids, gas, etc. That's when I found out about the food places.

Homemade laundry soap
Homemade Laundry Detergent - The Original and Best Recipe
pixilation is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 01:15 AM
  # 24 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 490
Money for all the bills comes out of my bank account on pay day every week, so I never, ever have to open a bill and freak out. Everything that has to be paid is paid for automatically on pay day - mortgage, phone the lot. What I'm left with is for food and whatever.

I shop at a discount grocery store. Most weeks I can get by on $100 worth for the week. That's kids home made school lunches too. I always buy a few extras to put in the pantry like canned kidney beans, chick peas etc. so I have a stockpile.

If I buy meat I buy a bulk lot and freeze it in meal size batches - usually things like chicken breasts and bulk lots of good quality bacon with the fat already cut off. Bacon can make some really cheap pasta dishes!

I do pulled pork occasionally - it uses a cheap cut of pork and the leftovers are great for lunches and sandwiches.

Here is the easiest and cheapest of one of the meals I make, it's a weight watchers recipe but I use it because it's also cheap and easy.

Gnocchi with Ham and Chilli

100g 97% fat-free shaved ham (I use proper ham or some of my frozen bacon)
500g packet 98% fat-free gnocchi
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2/3 cup extra-light sour cream
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Line a grill tray with foil. Spread ham over prepared tray and grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until light golden and crisp. Remove to a plate. Set aside to cool. Roughly chop ham.

Cook gnocchi in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until tender.


Meanwhile, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup cold water in a jug. Mix well. Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with oil. Heat over low heat. Add chilli, onions and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft, add sour cream mixture, heat gently 1-2 minutes

Drain gnocchi. Add gnocchi, cream mixture, parsley and ham to frying pan. Toss over low heat until warmed through. Season with pepper. Serve.
Lulu39 is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 04:05 AM
  # 25 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 109
This is a great thread, I'm getting so much out of everyone's posts. I too have had to economize, but I also don't want the children to feel any sense of "lack." That is the challenge for me.

I've always cooked from scratch (even though, by the end, my xAH took no pleasure in food--so sad!). My new fave thing is cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot. Chop up an onion, place it on the bottom of the crock pot. Wedge the rinsed chicken in on top of that. You can season the skin with a rub, but I don't because I use the leftovers for stock. Cram the lid on and cook on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken is then moist and falling off the bone--so quick & easy and doesn't heat up the house in the summer. After letting it cool, I remove the meat and put the carcass and some parsley, carrots, celery, bay leaf back in the crock pot, top off with water, and cook on low overnight. That makes a great stock that I use in many meals throughout the week. My kids love chicken soup with rice or noodles. I even send that in for school lunch in a thermos.
BtheChange is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 04:33 AM
  # 26 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 166
Making Your Own Laundry Detergent: A Detailed Visual Guide - The Simple Dollar

This is the recipe i use for soap..you can order the ingredients on Amazon if your local store doesn't carry them. I also subscribe to his daily email. It is FANTASTIC. Alot of money saving ideas, how to calculate what you need for retirement, best ways to evaluate cell phone plans, etc. Just alot of really useful stuff.

I actually am very financially stable. Had a bad experience in my 20's where I was so far in credit card debit I almost lost my house. had to borrow money from my mom until i could refinance and she put me through the ringer....letters, took the credit cards, etc I promised myself NEVER AGAIN. I now live like I make very little. I pay off my credit card every month. i use discover for the cash vback and charge everything...I get >$1000 a year in free money. I buy store brands, each yogurt past the sell by date, and try to instill in my kids that they don't need a ton of toys, etc. I cancelled my cable a year ago and now use netflick and jetflicks for shows. Love jetflicks, very reasonabla and has EVERYTHING from TV. I bought a Dongle for $65, that basically turns your TV into a tablet, therefore i can watch jetflicks or anything else on the internet on my TV. I share my cable with my neighbor/best friend. i bought a Wifi extender to make the signal stronger in my house.
pattyG is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 07:32 AM
  # 27 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,452
These are fabulous ideas. What is truly amazing is the attitude behind them. No whining or moaning, just "here's a challenge, let's take it on".

Thank you!

ShootingStar1
ShootingStar1 is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 08:18 AM
  # 28 (permalink)  
Member
 
Florence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 2,899
I swear, white vinegar cleans nearly every surface in the house and neutralizes odors too. It's like $2 for a giant jug.

Bthechange, I'm going to try that stock idea. I'll bet it makes the house smell great too. One of the best skills I learned was how to see food scraps as more food. A single whole chicken can feed a small family for a week if you do it right.
Florence is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 08:18 AM
  # 29 (permalink)  
Community Greeter
 
dandylion's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 16,246
I am just so excited about soap. I never knew that laundry soap could be made so easily and inexpensively! I wish I had know this when I had kids at home!

Thanks to those who shared this info.!

dandylion
dandylion is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 08:57 AM
  # 30 (permalink)  
Member
 
AnvilheadII's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
Posts: 11,589
you can also make the laundry soap as a dry product, just mix really well to combine all the ingredients. the only part i didn't like was grating up the bars of soap!

really love the "two for one" chicken recipe.
AnvilheadII is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 09:13 AM
  # 31 (permalink)  
Engineer Things; LOVE People
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,707
From the drift of this . . . I am expecting to see some of you over to Frugal Squirrels pretty soon . . .

Have to join (free) to get the current stuff, but here is their old forum >>>

Frugal's Forums Archive 2001-2006
Hammer is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 09:41 AM
  # 32 (permalink)  
Member
 
MissFixit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,582
SOUP!

I love soup in the winter. I used to just make traditional vegetable or chicken noodle, but have expanded my soup menu to include a couple dozen varieties. You can buy the ingredients in bulk and either make in bulk to freeze or just stock up (pardon the pun...) in bulk. Most soups are veggies and stock, so ingredients are very inexpensive.

I also do salads in the summer and make crazy combinations. make my own dressings or use just simple liquids like just vinegar or fresh juice.
MissFixit is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 10:05 AM
  # 33 (permalink)  
Member
 
SparkleKitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 5,448
My husband voluntarily left his job almost two years ago to focus on his writing and other artistic endeavors. I have a good solid job that I like and was happy to be able to accommodate the arrangement. Since then he's become quite the house-husband, and our CrockPot has never gotten so much glorious use! We've actually managed to put more money in savings since he left his job and starting focusing on the household (meal planning, budgeting, etc.) Everything is paid on time and best yet, the house is not a whirlwind of chaos in which I cannot possibly relax.

Long-winded way of saying Go Slow Cookers!!!! They make everything easier and usually produce leftovers that actually improve with time!
SparkleKitty is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 11:05 AM
  # 34 (permalink)  
Member
 
FireSprite's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,780
Another fan of vinegar here - I use it for everything from the laundry (softener) to the floors.

Another thing I started doing recently is to break down my bulk meat purchases into smaller amounts for the freezer. I always broke the packs down into 1# packages (since most recipes we make call for this), but I started making it more like .80-.85 of a pound, often getting another full portion out of the total. No one noticed a difference at all and now when I price out the bulk packages, I do the mental math so that I can break it down within this range - so a 5lb. package of hamburger= 6 meals.

I also learned that refrigerators run less & stay colder if they have stuff in them! LOL, but seriously - if you have a lot of empty room the cold air has to circulate a lot & gets warmer faster (if I remember right) so leaving those empty 12-pack soda boxes when a shelf would otherwise sit empty actually increases your fridge's efficiency.
FireSprite is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 12:05 PM
  # 35 (permalink)  
Member
 
LaTeeDa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: behind the viewfinder...
Posts: 6,278
I'm really loving all the practical tips in this thread. I have discovered many of them already on my own (eliminating cable for one) and look forward to trying some that I didn't know about. I really can't add much in the way of tips that haven't already been added.

So I will add a more thought process/mindset post. By the time I divorced my AH, I was the main breadwinner in our family, so the split didn't do much damage to me financially. In fact, supporting two children was actually easier than supporting two children AND an alcoholic, lol. But, one of the gifts of recovery was the ability to see that I had become a prisoner of my lifestyle. So, last year, after a few years of getting my ducks in a row and paying off all my debts outside of the mortgage, I made the decision to leave a miserable but well-paying job and collect an early pension. Because I took retirement early, the amount of the pension is extremely low and, although I supplement my income with sales of my photography, I am now living on roughly 1/5 of what I was making before.

Downsizing can be very freeing if you have the right attitude. When I made the decision to leave my job, I knew that it would be unlikely I would be able to keep my house. It's a large house and I bought it in 2006--the height of the real estate bubble. For the last year I have been negotiating with the bank, applying for any and all mortgage modification/reduction programs I could find without success. But, I have been living here for a year and they still haven't foreclosed. I know they will eventually, and I am prepared for that. I have a 29 ft. RV which I plan to make my "home" while I travel around the country taking photographs. If I have to rent a small place in the meantime while my son finishes high school, then that is okay. If I have to take a low-paying job to make ends meet for a while that's okay, too. I believe with all my being that no matter what happens, I will be okay. In fact, I will be better than okay because I am no longer selling my soul in order to finance a lifestyle of "things." I am following my passion and every day I wake up looking forward to the experience of life. There have been some difficult times and there will be more I'm sure, but the simple life brings me more joy than all the money ever did. Life is about living and I intend to do as much of that as I possibly can in the years I have left! I feel much richer than I ever have.

L
LaTeeDa is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 12:15 PM
  # 36 (permalink)  
Member
 
LaTeeDa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: behind the viewfinder...
Posts: 6,278
Oh, and just to add a visual to that, this was my experience of life a couple of days ago. A golden eagle taking flight.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
goldeneagleliftoff.jpg (34.7 KB, 142 views)
LaTeeDa is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 08:03 PM
  # 37 (permalink)  
Bunnies!
 
NWGRITS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,905
*raising hand* Another vinegar user here! I use it for everything. EVERYTHING. Fabric softener, in the JetDry dispenser in the dishwasher, for cleaning bathrooms and floors, deodorizing carpets, catching fruit flies (cider vinegar + dish soap= epic carnage). I tried making my own laundry soap, but it kept clogging up the filter in our washer. So we use Ecos brand instead, in the ginormous bottle from Costco, and it lasts 9 months. I buy all of our staples in bulk, including bread flour and sugar for our baking. I bake once a week, including sandwich bread, tortillas, and bagels. Once every few weeks I put up enough garlic knots, biscuits, yeast rolls, pita, and pizza dough to last through my meal planning periods. I make as much stuff from scratch as possible, and I follow a hybrid shopping and meal plan from lovingmynest.com and pocketchangegourmet.com. I shop twice a month, buy my produce and meats in bulk, then go home and prep EVERYTHING for the freezer. You save money when nothing goes to waste. I make my own stocks from chickens, turkeys, and bone-in beef roasts. The soft veggies that come out of the stocks get made into meals for my 1-year-old snaggletooth baby.

As far as budgeting goes... yeah, we're working on it. My hours have been cut at work (more people doing fewer shifts in order to avoid paying anyone benefits), which has impacted us significantly. We are looking at where we can gut our expenses, and I am in the search for a new job as we speak. We are trying to get all our drafted payments to come out on the same day, and then we will go cash-only for the rest. We went from two full-time incomes to one, with a family of seven to support. We will figure it out until I can land something better, but in the meantime it's a learning experience. I'm hoping that once we get used to living on the envelope system, that we will be able to maintain that line of thinking and start putting away more into our investment accounts and retirement.
NWGRITS is offline  
Old 11-15-2013, 08:21 PM
  # 38 (permalink)  
Member
 
HealingWillCome's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,057
Wow, LaTeeDa! Absolutely gorgeous photo. What a gift to have seen (not to mention capture such a beautiful image) of such a beautiful creature! Thank you for sharing!
HealingWillCome is offline  
Old 11-16-2013, 07:33 AM
  # 39 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,452
This thread has become the most incredible resource that I am wondering if the Moderate can find a place to save it as a sticky?

ShootingStar1
ShootingStar1 is offline  
Old 11-16-2013, 08:23 AM
  # 40 (permalink)  
Community Greeter
 
dandylion's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 16,246
Yes, crock pots are terrific and I am a big fan. So is the pressure cooker--I have rekindled my love relationship with mine, lately. Makes the most lovely soups out of almost anything--and can improve the toughest cuts of meat.

dandylion
dandylion is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:03 PM.