# Preparing for a 2/3 cut in pay!



## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I am preparing for a 2/3 cut in pay in 3-6 months. The money incoming is going to pretty much equal bills that have to be paid...House payment (after refinancing to bring payment down) with taxes and insurance, phone/internet, cell phone (in a contract), car insurance, and electric. Not much wiggle room for gas money so there will be no running around going places or even the temptation to go shopping and spend money I won't have.

Right now I am trying to get a years worth of toiletries and cleaning supplies stocked. I am pretty good for food but I am going to try to stock more. Fresh foods will be our garden/home canned, fresh eggs and fresh milk. 
I am planning to cut way back on my chickens...from 33 down to around 10. I will mostly likely be cutting down on my goat herd...from 5 to 2 or 3 to cut back on the feed bill.
I am trying to get clothes put up for the kids that they will possibly need for the next year or so...trying to get the next size or so up and shoes for 6 kids. 

I also plan on getting a part time job to add to the income. I am waiting for an opening at one company that I have worked at but as of right now that job is not open. So if I can not get that job I will have to look for something else when this pay cut takes place. 

I have also considered doing some baking and cookie type sales for holidays for extra cash.

I am set for wood for the next two years for heating. I do not have a gas bill and my all electric house runs about $175-$215 a month. But I am hoping to get that down to at least $150 a month. It is pretty much the same all year round because we use the wood burner in the winter and not the base board heating. I am trying to empty out our extra fridge (mostly the freezer) so the second fridge can be unplugged. 
I already hang most of my clothes out to dry or in my bathroom on a rack to dry. I make my own laundry detergent and I will make sure those supplies are stocked up on. 

I have a little bit of savings as a back up but I do not want to use that to pay down the house because it is not enough to pay it off and I want it as a cushion for making all of the bills. 

Any other suggestions or ideas of what I can do to prepare for this 2/3 loss of income??


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Stock up on first aid, flu/cold etc meds now....when you live so close to the edge like that (I'm used to living on the edge...) you can't go running to the dr for every scrape and sniffle.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

First I want to say I'm sorry your facing this financial situation..HUGS..One thing came to mind was to actually spend some money and invest in a Freezer that you can fill with lot's of meat/cheese/butter/bread/milk or whatever your family would most benefit from for month's to come.. These are random thoughts....do you have your appliances/tv's on a power strip? unplug all item's not in use.. If my upright freezer has open gaps I fill 2-liter bottles w/water and fill in the gap's..I use vinegar for my rinse in my dishwasher and washing machine..I make alot of my own salads dressings..taco seasoning's from scratch..I make all my baked good's from scratch...Hope this help's a little!


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## sewserious (Apr 2, 2010)

Can you get on an equal payment plan for your electric? It might be a bit higher than $150 a month, but it will be exactly the same every month for 11 months and then you settle with the electric company for the difference; usually less than one months payment. That way, if you can't manage to cut your electric bill, which is hard, you will at least be on even ground. IF you do manage to cut it over the next year, next year's equal payment amount would be a lot less. They base it on your electric usage for the past 12 months.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

My electric is pretty much the same exact every single month so I don't want to get on a payment plan. We do not have any major fluctuations from month to month. 

I have an upright freezer that is FULL at this time. We keep it locked to minimize air gaps. Pantries are pretty full at this time too because canning season has pretty much just wrapped up for me. I cook most all of my food from scratch. I have at least a years supply of taco seasoning...we LOVE taco rice and use it a lot so I buy the big containers from Sam's for that. I also buy the big container of mayo from Sam's so I am good for that. The only other dressing I use is Ranch dressing...a lot of it...so that I will definitely stock up on because we are nearly out of it right now. 

Cold/flu meds are a great idea to get stocked up on. The kids will still have insurance through DH's work so they will be covered at least. We RARELY go to the doctor now. But I will have a physical and blood work done before the pay cut takes place. Our dentist is a personal friend and he works with us for cleanings and such. We have had very few cavities/fillings between all of us.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I thought of something else that I need to get done...a year's worth of oil and filters for my van. We already change the oil ourselves. I will also need to get new tires within the next 6 months so I will make sure that it is done before the pay cut happens because I will not be able to change them afterwards. I am also going to make sure that all maintenance is done on it and anything that may need to be done in the next year is done sooner rather than later.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

I think you have done a GREAT JOB in covering alot of area's..It really is just a matter if you want to cut in other area's..ie: no cable,,,no internet,,no landline and figuring out why your electric bill is so high? I think it's pretty high in my opinion..You can easily make your own cleaners for pennies using vinegar,baking soda just google the recipes.I make my own Ranch dressing from scratch but I also have a wide variety of spices to do so that saves me alot of money..If you have a Shoprite in your area they are having a good sale on Nyquil this week..I make sure I have a years worth of medicine/cough drops/bandaids/topic medicines/toothpaste ect at all times..


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

mythreesons said:


> I think you have done a GREAT JOB in covering alot of area's..It really is just a matter if you want to cut in other area's..ie: no cable,,,no internet,,no landline and figuring out why your electric bill is so high? I think it's pretty high in my opinion..You can easily make your own cleaners for pennies using vinegar,baking soda just google the recipes.I make my own Ranch dressing from scratch but I also have a wide variety of spices to do so that saves me alot of money..If you have a Shoprite in your area they are having a good sale on Nyquil this week..I make sure I have a years worth of medicine/cough drops/bandaids/topic medicines/toothpaste ect at all times..


I guess it might depend on what your local service is charging....around here, her electric bill is somewhat lower then the norm, especially for winter which is over 300 a month here in the cold season and I have a tiny home!:stars:! A lot of low income families get assitance for the heat bills around here so maybe that is why it's so high for everyone else??? I don't know but we try to keep things to the bare minium with lights and things.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I have to keep the internet because of the kids schooling. I also make enough $$ on the internet with my swagbucks to more than offset the price of the internet. I can not cut off my land line because cell phone reception is very spotty here. I also share my cell phone plan with mom and brother and they pay their portion of the bill. Cable will be cut and Netflix will be cut or the money set aside to cover an entire year for streaming only.

I am honestly not sure what else I can do to cut my electric bill for 8 people with 7 of us being home nearly all day everyday.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

Oh my goodness Pam, I didn't know that you had such a big family...I also thought you ment that it was you losing that percentage of income..Have you thought about getting state coverage for your children that might save you some of the money you/your family is losing? Have you considered getting foodstamps? Please don't take what I say in the wrong way in regards to getting any help..I don't really have anything else to say to help you.


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## Freya (Dec 3, 2005)

Is this going to be a permanent or temporary cut back? That might change some of the suggestions.



Will you be putting those extra chickens and goats into the freezer or canning them?

Can you try supplying more of your own feed for animals and use less prepared feed?

Could you sell extra eggs so you could keep the chickens?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Shoes man. Buy everyone a couple extra pairs of shoes and a a few extra bags of socks. I also might recommend cheese if you are cheese people. The price keeps going up.


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## Red Elm (Sep 29, 2011)

Pam6, I'm sorry to hear about the cut in pay but you do have a heads up on it coming so that puts you WAY ahead of most people. Your list is very good and well thought out. Most folks would probably forget about their cars. 

I don't know if you coupon or not but there is a lot of cash on the table that can be taken advantage of if you have the time to put into it.

Maybe stock up on extra canning lids, light bulbs, matches, pencils and note tablets for school?

With 8 people cutting an electric bill can be a very hard, CFL's instead of regular light bulbs, making sure to unplug tv's, vcr's, video game boxes, computers, printers, etc. can all add up to some $$$ savings on the bill each month. 

You might think of putting something back for a special treat for everyone. Not knowing you family I can't give a specific item but something that will lift everyones spirits when things seem their worst. My wife puts back the fixings for a special cheese cake that we don't make very often because it's hard on the diet. When the whole family gets down she will whip one up. It's not a huge thing but it is sort of a signal to the family to stop, think and refocus. It works for us.

I wish you the best.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Have you considered keeping the goats and chickens and selling herd shares? It's a legal way to sell raw milk in Ohio (I have a friend that has people drive 2 1/2 hours from Cleveland for her goat's milk - it's the closest they can find, so there is a market). With 5 goat I assume you produce more milk then your personal use...sell the rest. How much are you getting for you eggs? I assume you sell since you have 33 chickens. $3-$4 is the going price here for free range chicken eggs (free range lowers the food bill, too).

Do you have any "scratch and dent" grocery stores near you? We have a few in the region...not sure what part of NE Ohio you are in (I'm on the very southeren edge of NE Ohio).


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Pam, do you have the "tightwad gazette"?? If not, you might want to pick up your own copy. She (Amy D, author) has many ideas old and new, but it also gives you ideas you have not thought about before, and organizational ideas.

Do you have any rooms you can cut off from heat for the winter, and have the children bunk up together for warmth?? We doubled up as kids. I dont know what kind of windows you have, but there was a tip on the tightwad thread of CF about putting dollar store plastic shower curtains over the windows to block the cold. Also, a tension rod at the top of your stairs with some thick drapes will keep the heat downstairs. I imagine you could do this to "cut off" a room without a door. 

Every time you do go out, as a group or alone, always take a granola bar or something and a bottle of water. Sometimes the hungries hit, even if you are out longer than you planned. It will save you a fast food trip. 

make some hankies and napkins out of old t shirts or tablecloths. the only paper I really buy is TP. If you have a rite-aid, Mpillow has some great advice for making money and getting free items you can use, like TP.

We have a local restaurant my oldest son worked at for years, and I sometimes help out when they have parties, either as a server, food prep and even dishwashing. I get paid, and have been able to take home extra food from the parties (once it was a huge pan of chicken francaise...I bagged it up and froze it)

I made sure every bed in our house had a thick down comforter. I bought some on clearance, and a few from yardsales. I wash them in the washer, and dry on the libe, then fluff in the dryer.

Try to save a bit of cash to splurge on turkeys and baking goods this fall...I got a free turkey from one store and several more for anywhere between .19 and 49 cents a lb. you can can the meat and broth if you dont have room in the freezer. A turkey is a good deal for a big family. We even use it for tacos, cheaper and healthier than beef. You might be able to get enough sugar and flouor to last the year, but you will need the $$ to put out when its available. Keep a small stash of cash in you r wallet for such opportunities (a $50 dollar bill you wont be tempted to spend). you can aso make turkey sausage (I did this with some of our homegrown turkeys, and made patties for the grill...they were yummy)

Also, remember there are tons of holiday ideas that cost nothing to make your holiday really special...for fall decorating, have the kids make scarecrows...for Christmas, home made ornaments and twig deer etc. 

FYI too. if anyone shops at WM and needs spices, they have some of the most common ones for .50 now ...cinamon, onion and garlic pepper etc..

dont forget scrap metal and aluminum cans. My DH helped out our local gym ("the Rock", operated by a local chucrch) several times, once hauling away some old equipment. They rewarded the members for volunteering with a nice steak dinner, and because DH goes above and beyond, they renewed our family membership for free...he also got $5o for the scrap metal in the equipment he hauled away. My dad was a big "walker"..and he always picked cans. At his funeral, a woman came up to me and told me my dad picked enough cans for her nephew to get $1,200 for a special wheelchair he needed. It took him a year, but he did that and never told anyone.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

I suggest purchasing any extra linens/bedding that you think you may need. 

Stock up on supplies to mend clothing so that it will last longer and can get passed down to the younger children. 

Buy winter clothing items in nuetral colors so that they can be worn by either boys or girls, items like snowpants, hats mittens etc.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

I'd go around the house with your husband and do a punch list of any repairs that might be coming up in the near future - gutters, roofing, painting, etc.

I'd also start stocking up on gift items (shop clearance and yard sales) - unless your family doesn't celebrate Christmas or birthdays, you will be prepared. 

I pray that your financial challenge ends up being very short lived.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

dont forget your local library...besides books, ours has cd's and dvd's to loan....and has nice free childrens programs for crafts and storyteling etc. free entertainment.


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## tytglovett (Aug 27, 2010)

Pay money ahead on your utilities while you have it. It will be credited to your account and you will have a little more wiggle room when money is tight. I have friends who do this because they are only paid 9 months out of the year.


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## Eyes Wide Open (Oct 14, 2010)

You might consider VOIP as your telephone backup, instead of the more expensive landline. 

I would make that decision based on how reliable my Internet provider and electrical service was. Mine is extremely reliable - something like an hour of Internet downtime every six months, and no power failures in the 7 years we've lived here. So I feel like my telephone service is pretty much always there. Having a cell phone pretty well fills out the reliability of emergency calls. (Major disasters risk your landline service going down too). 

Anyway, just a thought - could save $30 a month right there.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Your light bill seems very high to me! We are a family of 5....our hot water comes off our HWBB oil furnace and we avg. 6 showers a day (the boy works at a cow dairy). My light bill with 3 med. chest freezers and a fridge is about $72 a month. I don't have a clothes dryer (other than the garden fence and the woodstove) I use those horrid CFL's (I get them cheap or free at Rite aid)

Our oil bill was $652 for the year for just hot water and back-up heat for 1600 sq ft house.

Are the kids old enough to get a little side work?

I'd hesitate on getting down on your milkers with so many thirsty kiddos. I've found that a $20 calf from the dairy my son works at puts about 75-90# meat in the freezer in 90days on about a gallon and a half of goat milk and a bit of grass/hay (mostly from mowing)....if you have extra milk and extra help its a good kid friendly project!

Rabbits...another kid friendly meat project---cage building, breeding, butchering, tanning hides!

Hunting----if you've got guns and the kids want to go....let 'em ! My son got a moose (small) a deer (bigish) 2 turkeys last fall for us...a goose so far this season.
Fishing---even junk fish! I boil them whole for my chickens...my kids love to fish!
Free animals on craigslist---free roosters, pressure can if aged and make chicken salad in the food processor...

My dial-up is free and wifi at the library is just a 1/2 mile away...


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Around here there was just a "free home energy inspection" that was done by a local electric contractor..but paid for out of some gov program..thus free to anyone because it was already paid for by our taxes. I'd be checking to see if such a thing is available in your area and perhaps find why you use so much electric.

Also check your windows and doors for air infiltration/drafts. Rope cauk is cheap.
Look at some food choices..if the family eats expensive cold cereal for breakfast winter is a good time to switch to hot cooked cereal which is much cheaper.
Soups and cassaroles are a budgeters good friends.

Please keep us posted how you are doing..I personally may find myself in your shoes before spring..the plant where I work is suffering a serious decline in orders and lost work to mexico.....


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I will try to address all of the suggests so you all can get a little better idea of what I do have prepared and then you all can give more suggestions or maybe it will just help someone else if I brainstorm out loud.

This is going to be a permanent set back that will last about a year...maybe more, maybe less but I am expecting it to last at least a year. 

I have been growing more and more of my own animal feed every year. I have 5 turkeys, two ducks, 33 layer chickens, and 26 meat chickens right now. The meat chickens will be going into the freezer in a couple weeks. Eggs only sell for $2 a dozen around here. We use all of the eggs we get now because we eat so much at home. My Mom can/does supplement me with extra eggs when I need them so I would rather cut back on them. They have a HUGE pen but we can not free range them because of neighbor's dogs. The turkeys will be cut back to 3...a breeding trio. The ducks will be finding a new home. Right now I only have one and half goats in milk. I bought one goat from a friend and he had already dried her off for over 2 weeks but I am now able to get a cup of milk twice a day from her. My other goat gives 2-3 cups of milk twice a day. One goat is a male, one is 9 months old, and one goat had to be dried off because she has been battling worms. Right now there is no extra milk for selling at this time. If I were to get extra milk next year I will be making fresh cheese. The goats are on about a half an acre and a neighbor gives us free hay. We have planted some sunflowers and I plan on planting a lot more next year...but one of my goats refuses to eat sunflowers. I also have 6 rabbits I intend to keep...4 meat, 2 pet. 

Shoes...we definitely need. Cheese...we are cheese eaters!! I will have to get that stocked up. 

I will have to check how many canning lids I have. I MIGHT have enough for next year but I am not sure. I do a lot of canning. But can you ever have enough lids and jars??? LOL!! Light bulbs I do not have enough of. Over half of the lights in the house are CFL's. The ones that are on dimmer switches are not CFL's at this time. Matches I am well stocked on as well as wood for this winter and next. I have enough school supplies for the rest of this year except ink for the printer but I plan on using my swagbucks to get an ink refill kit or more cartridges. I currently use at least one a month. 
Special treats...we are cake eaters...what can I say??? We love cake! it goes a long way for a large family! LOL! I buy the cake mixes at Aldi's after that holidays for .50 or less and I buy 2 or more dozen at a time. I also make homemade butter cream frosting and I have all of the dry ingredients to make it. I just need butter as I make it. I am not big on Halloween but we do take the kids trick or treating at DH's cousin's condo complex so that 'stocks' us up on 'free' candy! LOL! I will divide that up into freezer bags this year so that I can pull out one a month as a special treat. 

Scratch and dent...yes we do. I went a couple of weeks ago and spent $9. I got 40 boxes of Rice A Roni for .10 each. I wiped them out of all of the flavors my family eats. Then I spent the rest on Hamburger Helpers at .25 a box. We eat those on Wednesday nights before church because it is a quick meal. I will try to get there a few more times but of course the selection is hit and miss.
Heat in the house...we exclusively heat with wood in the winter. I have enough wood for two years. My house is one story, no basement, one extra room but that door always stays closed so heating is not an issue. I am set for pillows, blankets, but I do need some new sheets for a couple of the kids beds. 
I like to take peanut butter or cheese crackers in the van for when we go out. But I currently do not have any...so I will stock up on those. 
I will try to get a couple of extra turkeys this year but my freezer is already full (or will be full with the meat chickens and I don't want to use the second fridge anymore) so I will have to can them if I get them. 
I am well stocked on flour and yeast but I definitely need a lot more sugar. I am good for most all of my spices for at least a year. 
The kids save all of the scrap they find and that is their money. They are saving for a small motor bike...or I think that is what they last said they wanted. LOL! Beaglebiz, that is wonderful that your father did that!
I do a lot...or I did a lot of sewing. I have not done any major sewing for about a year. I have plenty of fabric. But I am sorely lacking on thread, mostly white all purpose thread. 
I do not have enough gloves for this winter but I will get some. I will have to assess the coat and hat situation. I know that my oldest needs a new winter coat...sigh...they grow to fast! His old one will be passed down as it is still in good shape. I know that I am good on hats. I bought baby girl a coat and snow suit for $3 at a garage sale this past weekend and she should be able to wear it this year and next because it is about a half size to big. It is in excellent shape. A friend of mine works for JCPenny's and was able to pick me up several winter coats for 6 yo DD last year for super good prices! So I will ask her to look for some more after this season. But DD is good for this year. I will have to assess the rest of the boys. 
Cloth napkins...I made homemade cloth napkins and I have a couple of extra flannel sheets to make more with. I have made family cloth for myself to use. I also do not have to buy feminine products because I used my swagbucks to buy cloth pads and a diva cup so I am set there. 
Thank you all for listening to me and helping me plan and think this all out. I am open to any other suggestions if you think of something you think I might need to address.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Since you grow a garden to help, make sure you are stocked up on seeds! Get extra, you never know with the weather if you have to re-plant or not and right now a lot of seeds are clearenced so you can get them cheep.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mpillow said:


> Your light bill seems very high to me! We are a family of 5....our hot water comes off our HWBB oil furnace and we avg. 6 showers a day (the boy works at a cow dairy). My light bill with 3 med. chest freezers and a fridge is about $72 a month. I don't have a clothes dryer (other than the garden fence and the woodstove) I use those horrid CFL's (I get them cheap or free at Rite aid)
> 
> Our oil bill was $652 for the year for just hot water and back-up heat for 1600 sq ft house.
> 
> ...


I don't think my electric bill is that far off from yours. I have 3 more people, I do use my dryer...more than I should, and I have no oil/gas. So no gas stove or gas hot water. All electric. Your electric is $72 plus $652/12= $54 $54+$72=$126 My electric bill was $154.33 this month. But my highest has been as much as $213 (the month before) But it is usually right around $175. 
My oldest does hunt and puts at least two deer in the freezer. 
Library...it takes two gallons of gas for us to get back and forth from the library. Right now that is $7 a trip. If I were to go once a week that would pay for my internet. Plus, it is a .10 charge for every paper printed off. I print off a lot for the kids school work. Honestly, dial up is so bad here I could not deal with it.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

NickieL said:


> Since you grow a garden to help, make sure you are stocked up on seeds! Get extra, you never know with the weather if you have to re-plant or not and right now a lot of seeds are clearenced so you can get them cheep.


I have a survival seed bank from My Patriot Supply plus an herb garden. I also got all of the clearance veggie seeds from Dollar General and I am going to be participating in the seed train. I will definitely watch for extras.
I will need to start more of my veggies from seeds this year though because I usually buy several starter plants from a lady at church that has a greenhouse.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Have you bred the goats back? I haven't put my bucks in yet as I still have good production...I have a couple that have gone for 18m! dried off one month for kidding. 

Worming is important...keep a reg. schedule and keep your eye out for physical signs...I use horse paste ivermectin from jeffers at about $3 a tube and it treats 4-5 goats at double wt dose. Repeat in 10 days ---once before breeding and then again postpartum. No withholding necessary as it can be used on humans...and is in Africa to prevent river blindness in children!

Do you have a bakery (outlet) that you might get day olds from? I get a grocery cart full rounded for $8 some is not out of date yet! We eat it. Works out to about 10c a loaf and I keep the organic high fiber stuff for the table (freeze some)

Hunting? Fishing? local Hunters for the Hungry?


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## mom2accjk (Jul 12, 2010)

A great site is http://theprudenthomemaker.com/default.aspx. Her husband is in real estate and their area hit a bubble with no sales so they lived off no income for a year. She has a section on how they did it, has recipes using only pantry items, has a fabulous garden in a regular subdivision lot, has seasonal recipes/menu using her garden food, she also shares a list of pantry items she stocks. 

I would like to add that you not buy and stock every possible item you can think of. If they are not "need" items, but items you "think you may need" you could waste a lot of money. I would just save up as much cash as possible and be stocking when I found deals. Remember that the kids usually have too many clothes- you can buy fewer and keep them washed, especially how quickly they outgrow them before they are used. If you sew you could repurpose items creating new pieces like using a man's button down to make a boys shirt, or a skirt or dress for a girl. I keep my medicine, toiletries, and cleaning products stocked through my coupon shopping... so really hit those almost free items you can get each week. 

It is amazing how God will provide... people will give you clothes, or you will find great deals at thrift/garage sales. You will be focusing on the coupon deals and spotting sale items when you shop.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Goats are not bred back yet. I have wormer from the vet...two kinds. As well as wormer from TSC. I am WELL stocked for wormer. 
The bakery outlet is about 35-40 minutes away. I do not go very often because it is pretty far from my regular shopping route, but my mom does. I will ask her to pick me up some when she gets hers.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

sorry posted b4 you answered! So you have a heat pump ? forgive my ignorance they don't sell the things around here! I can tell you that right now the price of heating oil and what we pay for electric is just about equal when it comes to heating water (DH is a Master oil burnerman) and he keeps track so we are actually considering an electric water heater! Propane is VERY expensive here, it has its place like the frzn North cabin...but not feasible here!
If we got an electric heater it would be on a timer for sure!
And eggs here in the stores are about $2.50 a dzn for extra large!

Sounds like you are on top of it.....I'm always looking to save too. One big saving for us last year was switching ins. companies....we'd been w/ one for 15 years and they wanted $700 a year more for LESS coverage!


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## ghmerrill (Feb 22, 2011)

Pam6 said:


> I thought of something else that I need to get done...a year's worth of oil and filters for my van. We already change the oil ourselves. I will also need to get new tires within the next 6 months so I will make sure that it is done before the pay cut happens because I will not be able to change them afterwards. I am also going to make sure that all maintenance is done on it and anything that may need to be done in the next year is done sooner rather than later.


Check craigslist for tires. I got an almost new set of 4 for $100 just by checking there occasionally.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mpillow said:


> sorry posted b4 you answered! So you have a heat pump ? forgive my ignorance they don't sell the things around here! I can tell you that right now the price of heating oil and what we pay for electric is just about equal when it comes to heating water (DH is a Master oil burnerman) and he keeps track so we are actually considering an electric water heater! Propane is VERY expensive here, it has its place like the frzn North cabin...but not feasible here!
> If we got an electric heater it would be on a timer for sure!
> And eggs here in the stores are about $2.50 a dzn for extra large!
> 
> Sounds like you are on top of it.....I'm always looking to save too. One big saving for us last year was switching ins. companies....we'd been w/ one for 15 years and they wanted $700 a year more for LESS coverage!


We have an 80 gallon electric hot water heater. It is on a timer also. No heat pump.

Redoing all of our insurance is a top item on my list of priorities. We have been with this company for 14 years and DH was with it before we got married. This is definitely an issue that I need to address.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

ghmerrill said:


> Check craigslist for tires. I got an almost new set of 4 for $100 just by checking there occasionally.


I will try that but I THINK my tires will be very hard to come by. I have a 15 passenger Chevy Express (2006 paid for). Those are not that common around here and they are kind of big! LOL! But I will check it out.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Do the kids crochet/knit? I got some f those knifty knitter looms and some nice thick yarn at yard sales and my girls made some awesome warm hats for all of us! Old felted up wool sweaters to make mittens too.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mom2accjk said:


> A great site is http://theprudenthomemaker.com/default.aspx. Her husband is in real estate and their area hit a bubble with no sales so they lived off no income for a year. She has a section on how they did it, has recipes using only pantry items, has a fabulous garden in a regular subdivision lot, has seasonal recipes/menu using her garden food, she also shares a list of pantry items she stocks.
> 
> I would like to add that you not buy and stock every possible item you can think of. If they are not "need" items, but items you "think you may need" you could waste a lot of money. I would just save up as much cash as possible and be stocking when I found deals. Remember that the kids usually have too many clothes- you can buy fewer and keep them washed, especially how quickly they outgrow them before they are used. If you sew you could repurpose items creating new pieces like using a man's button down to make a boys shirt, or a skirt or dress for a girl. I keep my medicine, toiletries, and cleaning products stocked through my coupon shopping... so really hit those almost free items you can get each week.
> 
> It is amazing how God will provide... people will give you clothes, or you will find great deals at thrift/garage sales. You will be focusing on the coupon deals and spotting sale items when you shop.


Thank you, I will check that site out. I want to save all of my savings that I have now for the 'what if's' so I am trying to prioritize what I DO need now. Some of this just is not going to be done by the time the pay cut takes place. I do appreciate all of you working with me to help me figure out what does need to take priority.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mpillow said:


> Do the kids crochet/knit? I got some f those knifty knitter looms and some nice thick yarn at yard sales and my girls made some awesome warm hats for all of us! Old felted up wool sweaters to make mittens too.


I am not sure if 6 yo DD would be interested in learning just yet. I can crochet. I think I have a nice stock pile of yarn in my spare room closet. I have felted wool sweaters that I have turned into mittens before. My mom is very good at crocheting. I also have a lot of fleece to use for hats and mittens. I also plan to make the girls some fleece dresses for winter. Right now I have enough fleece to make them each 6 dresses with matching hats and possibly mittens and scarves.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Are there certain days when your mom can get senior citizen discount at certain stores?

My mom does this for me...

If any of your children or DH get state(mainecare for us) or medicare/aid? you can get the lifeline discount on your phone bill...We get it for DD10 as state ins. was part of her adptn pkg....I have to show her card at the phone co. once per year.
It saves about $15 a month.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mpillow said:


> Are there certain days when your mom can get senior citizen discount at certain stores?
> 
> My mom does this for me...
> 
> ...


Haha! My mom is not that old! ound: I am 32. I think she is 53. 

The kids will have regular insurance through DH's work.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Try unplugging everything go to the meter and make sure it's not moving. 
Then plug in one appliance @ a time starting with the refrigerator & freezer. Once you have the essentials plugged in then start making some choices. My teenagers are allowed to keep their CD players plugged in because even off there is an electrical draw. Same with those cell phone docking stations. I'm working on getting a wind up alarm clock instead of our digital. Daughters use their cell phones. 

We only have the DVD/VCR player plugged in when we actually use it. TV & WIFI router are on a power strip which gets turned off when not in use. 

Electric stove pulls power for the clock so if you can unplug that @ night. As much as possible I try to use crock pots due to lower electric consumption. 

In the works is to add Styrofoam insulation sheets to the outside of my chest freezer I'll blog about the results & let you know. Hubby doesn't expect much of a change since the freezer is only 3 years old. But I have spare insulation & a roll of duct tape so ...

When the wood stove is going that is my only method of cooking & baking. When I had a dryer I use to only dry the clothes for 5 min. or so to de-wrinkle then like you use drying racks. If your drier is heavy on computer chips digital

One of the ways we have been able to decrease our electric bill is to utilize solar garden & Christmas lights. They don't give off enough light to read by but it's often enough to do other tasks like put on shoes & coat on the enclosed porch @ night or light an entrance. In the kitchen I just took a garden light & placed it in a half gallon mason jar on the tablefilled with sand, makes for a nice nightlight.


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## mom2accjk (Jul 12, 2010)

I heard a great idea... I always buy those $1 knit gloves for the kids... I always have one and can't find the match. Put those mismatched ones in the car for emergency gloves. They fit pretty much any child/adult and if you are stranded and need them who cares if they don't match. I was throwing them away. 

You can use your lonely only socks that lost the love of their lives to cut into rectangular strips and sew together with the seam out/showing and make scarves that are ruffly edged and cute when you use printed/colored socks mixed in. 

I like to look at magazines so finding them for $.25 was a treat to myself when we were going through a year waiting on our home to sell when we moved for a job out of state. It was a getaway for me and I got cooking/cleaning/craft ideas.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2011)

[QUOTE)
I have a 15 passenger Chevy Express (2006 paid for). 




You could sell that vehicle if it came down to the nitty gritty..I think you are in much better shape than most people would be in if it were to happen to them...


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

With 8 in the house everything would be rationed from baths to food servings. Laundry would be limited by wearing clothing more than one day and drying towels between uses. 

Entertainment would be any community event that had free food, free heat and cooling with a comfortable place to sit, or listen, or participate and network with others. Talk with people. You never know when amazing opportunities will literally drop in your lap. Be the example for your children and actively seek face to face communication with others in the community. 

A cellphone would be emergency only, one for the house and one for each vehicle. TV reception would be free with antenna tower or similar. There are many free stations on TV now that are labeled as retro TV because all the programming is from the early days of TV.


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## mypatriotsupply (Jan 21, 2009)

Pam,

I'm sorry to hear of the new developments. Wish you were closer, I would put you to work in a heartbeat.

If there is one thing I know, however, it is that you of all people will be able to make it through something like this. You've trained for this. You are smart, and thrifty and always thinking. You will persevere, and come back stronger. 

Hang in there...and watch for the things you're going to learn in the process.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I can put the TV/dvd/vcr/wii on a power strip...if it is not already...if it is on one I will have to get it positioned so that I can easily switch it off when not in use. Right now all of the wires are currently in behind the entertainment center and not easily accessible.

Computers...I can completely unplug the desktop that is not regularly used and I can unplug my laptop....which I would like to replace before the pay cut takes place because the screen is so bad I can barely read some things because the monitor is about shot! (A friend suggested plugging in a desktop monitor to it if the screen does go completely so that is an option too because I do have an extra desktop monitor.) The computer and printer that we use for school work I would like to leave plugged in as well as the router/cable box because our phone is through the cable. Every time the printer is shut off it prints out a page that uses a LOT of ink when it is turned back on. 

That does sound like a great idea to do to your freezer...it is worth a try! I look forward to seeing how it works for you. I do have some extra foam board....I am sure I could find some duct tape around somewhere. The freezer is in the garage so no one will see it. I did have one of the garden solar lights that I put in DD's room on her window seal that she used as a night light. I will look to see if I can find some deals on them for the kitchen windows and living room windows. They will give at least enough light that we will not stub our toes at night. I would love it if you would do a blog post on your mason jar light too Pelenaka! 

The stove can not be unplugged it would have to be physically moved every time! ACK! That is so not happening! LOL! There is no clock or anything on it.
My cell phone charger is on the same cord as my laptop so that will be unplugged at night from now on too. 

My fridge in the house is only a year old (gift from MIL for Christmas) so it should not be to bad. 

My mom recently gave me a crock pot that has the three sections to it. I will try to utilize it more when planning my meals. Thanks for the tip. I do have one other large crock pot I can use too. 

The microwave is always left plugged in and it is our only clock in the main section of the house. The kids pretty much live by it for their daily routine. My brother gave me a standard wall clock for Christmas last year but it has never worked right...it just needs to be taken down and thrown out. I am hoping to repaint most of the house before the pay cut or at least the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The walls have not been painted in OVER 9 years and with 6 kids they NEED it. So the clock will probably be taken down and tossed at that time. I think repainting the ceilings will make the rooms seem brighter so we should not need as much light. 
Repainting is not a priority...it is just something I would like to have done.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mom2accjk said:


> I heard a great idea... I always buy those $1 knit gloves for the kids... I always have one and can't find the match. Put those mismatched ones in the car for emergency gloves. They fit pretty much any child/adult and if you are stranded and need them who cares if they don't match. I was throwing them away.
> 
> You can use your lonely only socks that lost the love of their lives to cut into rectangular strips and sew together with the seam out/showing and make scarves that are ruffly edged and cute when you use printed/colored socks mixed in.
> 
> I like to look at magazines so finding them for $.25 was a treat to myself when we were going through a year waiting on our home to sell when we moved for a job out of state. It was a getaway for me and I got cooking/cleaning/craft ideas.


Socks...I try to buy all black socks for the boys and I have tried to always get the same kind every time I have added new socks. That KIND OF eliminates the lonely sock problem...not completely but it does help! LOL! 
6 yo DD socks...She is a completely different size from the boys of course so I try to get her two packs of socks before winter. Both of my girls wear sandals nearly all summer so no socks needed. Baby girl will need new socks for winter and she is in the potty training stage so she also gets 6 yo DD's hand me downs. I also save tights and cut the tops off and stitch the tops so they can be worn as (mostly cute decorative) socks when they are to short to be worn as tights. 
Usually any sock that has made it to be single is probably not worth using for any other projects!! LOL! 
Magazines...I do like those too! I got a subscription to Family Fun and Taste of Home last year on a wibsite for like $2.99 a year...I would share the website but I can not remember it. If I do find it I will post it. Anyways I got like 4 years on each magazine. So I have 3 years left on those two. I have 3 months left on SHAPE magazine that I got with my swagbucks. But I love picking up magazines at $1 a bag rummage sales! 

Gloves...I always try to get just the black knit gloves too! No lonely onlys there either! I got like 17 pairs of them last year for free!! 
I don't mean to sound picky...believe me I am not...but once the knit gloves get wet your hands get COLD. The kids usually use those under their better gloves or for just short trips. But my kiddos really do like the better gloves for playing outside for long periods of time in. Getting good gloves is one thing I will have to address. But winter will be just about over when the pay cut takes place.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Whenever you are in town, make a stop at the Sallies (salvation army). You would be surprised at what you can find there if you take the time to look. I got last week a carhart zip hoodie for DH, gently used for 2.99, and a brand new with tags"fluff" lined zip hoodie perfect for one of my boys for 4.99. I just got rid of some winter coats, I probably could have sent them to you...I will keep my eyes open (I have boys). Last winter I got them 4 pairs of nice ski gloves (two pair were LL Bean, one Lands end and one unknown) for 2 or 3 dollars a pair. I have also been finding really nice wool socks for .49 a pair.

Also, was thinking, maybe you could make some doll clothes for Christmas? My grandpa made me a doll bed with a canopy (grandma made the bedding) that I kept beside my bed as a child. It was one of my best gifts ever.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I have purchased some of the military surplus at Sportsmansguide.com....we love the WWII era winter caps(baseball) with the snap under the chin. Also there are some big mittens with liners and same thing in glove system and trigger finger....Over the years I've purchased a lot there!
Personally for chores I like the cheapo stretchy ones from Walmart (I stock up in Feb. March clearence sales) I wear them under the mittens above (with a string so I don't have to hunt for them) just pop off the mitten to the thin glove...
I do the black sock thing too! 

Some discounts start at 55yo! My bad...my apologies to your mom!


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

What size shoes are your boys wearing? I have various sizes of snow boots and shoes from my son that we no longer need, they are larger boys/smaller men's sizes. They are headed to Goodwill but you can have them if they'd fit your boys.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

PATRICE IN IL said:


> What size shoes are your boys wearing? I have various sizes of snow boots and shoes from my son that we no longer need, they are larger boys/smaller men's sizes. They are headed to Goodwill but you can have them if they'd fit your boys.


Thank you Patrice! That is VERY VERY kind of you to offer. But I think by the time the shipping is paid on such large items it would be impractical to send them. My 12, 14, and 16 yo boys are all in full size men's boots/shoes. They are all good for at least one set of winter boots as they use boots regularly for animal chores. My 12 and 16 yo were bought brand new pairs last year. 16 yo needed a good pair for hunting and 12 yo had to have a pair for winter camp last year...so they both have good boots for sure. I am actually looking right at three pairs sitting by my back door from morning chores. LOL!
My dad passed away last year and my mom gave me my dad's old boots as well so, I think that is what my 14 yo is using. My 9 yo DS uses rubber boots mostly. I am not sure if he has 'winter' type boots or not...I will have to search. But his feet are very small...not even close to a young man's size. I do have at least one good pair for each boy. 
Thank you so much for the offer though!

We do have a Once Upon a Child in our local mall that I frequent that I buy most of my shoes at for my younger three kiddos. (They don't carry shoes big enough for the older three.) I try to stop in there at least every other month when I go that direction and I pick up boots/shoes for around $1.50 each. Rarely do I pay over $3 for a pair. 

I hope everyone understands that I am not posting about this situation to ask for any kind of handouts or even sympathy. I am hoping by sharing what I have done that you all can help me plan and think about things and areas that I have missed that I personally can plan for and get prepared for to make this (possibly very) stressful situation as stress-free as possible. I really truly hope that others can learn from this as well. I thank you all so much for listening and helping me. I really do appreciate it!!


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

You're welcome and no I didn't mean it to sound like that, I can't find anyone in need of the boots around here and thought if they'd fit your kids you could have them. I'd rather pass stuff to people who need it than give it to a retail location.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Pam ---also a good reminder to everyone else that there are places to trim! 

I love hand-me-downs and hand-ups...I really dislike it when people stand still with their hand out and don't even TRY as seems to be the trend these days!


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I think you have done an amazing job anticipating your needs for the next year or so. My only suggestion is to try to put some serious money aside over the next few months if you can. It is impossible to anticipate every need and emergencies cannot be anticipated. I think you are a fabulous person and am sorry for your financial downturn. But things will get better.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Vacuum cleaner bags are something else that I will need to stock up on. I did check amazon and they are on there so I can buy them later with my swagbucks if need be. So they are not going to be an absolute priority at this point but they are going on my list.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Pam6 said:


> I will try that but I THINK my tires will be very hard to come by. I have a 15 passenger Chevy Express (2006 paid for). Those are not that common around here and they are kind of big! LOL! But I will check it out.


Call around to your mom and pop tire shops. One down here actually sells used tires. It's amazing the selection he has. Make sure you can look the tire over before they take the old ones off.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Ohio dreamer said:


> Call around to your mom and pop tire shops. One down here actually sells used tires. It's amazing the selection he has. Make sure you can look the tire over before they take the old ones off.


A friend has a tire mounting thing so I would just buy the tires and he would (with the help of DH and the boys) mount and balance them for me. So I will not have to pay for mounting and balancing. 
My front and back brakes were both done within the last 4 months. 
My tires are not THAT bad right now but they will NEED replaced within the next 6 months so I do need to make sure it does in fact gets done and not put off.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

That van probably uses the same tires and wheels as a truck the same size. Around here everyone bought fancy tires and wheels for their rigs and now the original equipment ones are cheap, cheap at garage sales. You can get both tires and wheels and later you can find tires only as needed to keep a good set for winter and a more worn set for summer plus 2 wheel drive rigs can use 1/2 sets, one set rear, one set front....James


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

jwal10 said:


> That van probably uses the same tires and wheels as a truck the same size. Around here everyone bought fancy tires and wheels for their rigs and now the original equipment ones are cheap, cheap at garage sales. You can get both tires and wheels and later you can find tires only as needed to keep a good set for winter and a more worn set for summer plus 2 wheel drive rigs can use 1/2 sets, one set rear, one set front....James


It is a Chevy Express 3500. The sticker in the door says LT245/5R16E. I am not sure what that translates to for truck tires. :stars:


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2011)

Pam..I just want to say that I just read some of your blog..I love it! My Aunt is a Christian and homeschooled her 5 children also...I give anyone alot of credit to be able to do that..I know I couldn't..I think as time goes on you will think and think of moe things you need to do or buy...I wish you the best! 

p.s. I love the picture of all the whole family walking in the field hand and hand I almost cried when I first saw it... You should frame it!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mythreesons said:


> Pam..I just want to say that I just read some of your blog..I love it! My Aunt is a Christian and homeschooled her 5 children also...I give anyone alot of credit to be able to do that..I know I couldn't..I think as time goes on you will think and think of moe things you need to do or buy...I wish you the best!
> 
> p.s. I love the picture of all the whole family walking in the field hand and hand I almost cried when I first saw it... You should frame it!


Thank you very much! I have an 11x14 of that picture. I need to update my blog in a bad way! I have so many pics on my camera it is ridiculous!


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

If you've been on here awhile then you probabably have this all figured out. But what i would recomend is just saving all the cash you can get. Have a yard sale and thin down all the extras. Use the money you make to buy new stuff. Bigger clothes for the kids ect.
And canning jar lids,And canning jar lids,And canning jar lids.........


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

My son just put tires on his 1998Jeep Cherokee sport to the tune of $800...aggressive mud tires because he is a meat head....but he pays his own way so I say my comments but he makes up his own mind!.....that said new tires would be $600 and that would be for a modest tire for our 3/4 ton truck which I bet is similar to your van.

When I went with him to the bank to get money for his tires (his acct but a minor) he said "that's a lot of work mom" I said " yeah and a lot of smelly laundry!"


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Ok, I FINALLY remember the site that I got the magazine subscriptions from. It was seriously driving me crazy! LOL! www.tanga.com It is a different magazine every day that is at $2.99 or $3.99 for a year. The one thing I did notice was that when I created an account for my mom it showed the price as being around $4.99 for her. So I don't know if once you order then the price is lower for the next deal or not. But $2.99 a year for Taste of Home or Family Fun...which are my two most favorite is a deal!! Right now it is showing Muscle & Fitness as the deal for today on my account at $2.99 a year. That is .24 an issue! But the magazine choice changes everyday! A friend on my FB posted a code and that is how I got my first deal. So you might be able to search for a code if the magazine that you want says $4.99 or $5.99 the first time. I was able to use my paypal to buy the magazines with also. Not sure if anyone is interested in this but I thought I would share anyways!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

mpillow said:


> My son just put tires on his 1998Jeep Cherokee sport to the tune of $800...aggressive mud tires because he is a meat head....but he pays his own way so I say my comments but he makes up his own mind!.....that said new tires would be $600 and that would be for a modest tire for our 3/4 ton truck which I bet is similar to your van.
> 
> When I went with him to the bank to get money for his tires (his acct but a minor) he said "that's a lot of work mom" I said " yeah and a lot of smelly laundry!"


I did look at Pepboys.com (just because they are local and online) and it said $153 each buy 3 get a rebate for the 4th free. So $153+tax x 4 with a $153 rebate. So I am looking at $600+tax -$153. So I am probably looking at around just over $500.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Sounds like a good deal!

We have done Sam's club tires in the past when membership was a job perk...Walmart gave my son a hard time (and he gave them the...I had to drive back here and miss work speech) on tires for our trailer (for hauling ATV's) and they gave him $20 off because they messed up...spare didn't match the other 2...
He wasn't yet 17 when that happened...maybe I've done right by him!


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

I can see buying stuff, that your going to need anyways, now. But, if you know your going to lose your cash cow in a few months, maybe you should put away some cash too.... you never know what emergency will pop up.

Of course, filling all your life prep needs for a few years 'now' with cash that is more valuable now than it will be next year (inflation) is always a wise move...

Sounds like you've already been doing this....

I never know ahead of time whether my cash cow is going to go dry or not, so it behooves me to keep a few months of cash for operating expenses on hand. I'd only exhaust that supply, if an emergency arose (shtf storm).


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## wagvan (Jan 29, 2011)

I think you are about right on your tires. That is actually pretty good as we have been pricing them, also. (We have a Chevy Express 2500 12 passenger on a 15 passenger wheelbase.) We found a place that had lots of used ones for it, but that deal B3G1Free was almost the same as the used ones. We also checked out a test tire place that resells tires that are used on a test track and those were about $600, (although nicer quality). I'd jump on that sale as my research shows it really is a good deal.
Good luck, mama! And I'm taking notes here. We are in the same boat.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

texican said:


> I can see buying stuff, that your going to need anyways, now. But, if you know your going to lose your cash cow in a few months, maybe you should put away some cash too.... you never know what emergency will pop up.
> 
> Of course, filling all your life prep needs for a few years 'now' with cash that is more valuable now than it will be next year (inflation) is always a wise move...
> 
> ...


this is very true, and you might be spending on things you dont need. If you are not driving as much, your tires may last longer, or there might be a sale. Having the cash on hand might be better than storing the tires. your six months of wear might turn into a year, and you may come accross a better deal.


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## mtfarmchick (Feb 18, 2003)

What about putting money on pre-paid store cards, like Wal-mart, grocery store, JC Penny and the gas station? I'm way less tempted to spend the money on those cards than I am with cash. And you could do what some people do with credit cards...put the card in a bag or bowl filled with water and put it in the freezer. It's way harder to impulse buy when the card is in a chunk of ice!


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I am not a fan of any pre-paid cards, lay-away plans or gift certificates simply because I have been stung by all three. Certificates get lost or expire, some prepaid cards have to be activated and the activation does not register or managers refuse to honour cards or certificates and when a business goes bankrupt over night your lay away has gone away. And in todays economy you never know who is going to go bust next. Probably not likely with WalMart but who knows. I prefer cold hard cash - you can put that in the freezer as well as long as you put it in a plastic bag before you submerge in water.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Prepaid cards...we call them Gift Cards. I am actually in charge of the girls program at my church's fundraiser. It is called the Great Lakes Scrip. It is an EXCELLENT fundraising program!! (To make the program successful you need a go getter personality to get the orders though.) So I deal a LOT in gift cards. I tend to spend them because I have them. If I have $10 in my pocket I will pull out the card and put the $$ in the envelope. A Burger King card is $10 so if I have $3 left on the card I will stop and pick up a $1 sandwich and an onion ring. But I would NOT have spent that $3 at BK if it was cash. So what I end up doing is spending $10 at BK where I would have probably only dug out 4 quarters and had a sandwich to hold me over. Money is not that tight right now but I do tend to be VERY stingy with my cash. 
Walmart cards: I tend to say to myself "Those are already paid for so that money is not coming out of the checking account so if I spend $60, $50 will be the cards and only $10 will come out of the checking account so I can totally spend $60!" The cards have to be preordered and paid for then we have to wait a week for them to come in. So I tend to think of gift cards as 'free' money...even though they totally are not! Gift cards are personally not a good 'savings plan' for me. I am sure they probably work great for others though.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Update on what I have done so far since I posted this:
I have gotten some socks...3 packs for the boys, 1 pack for 2 yo DD, and 1 pack for 6 yo DD. I used a $5 off a $25 purchase coupon for the socks at DG! I plan on trying to do that one more time to get a few more.

The transmission fluid and filter were changed in my van Sunday so that will not have to be done again in the next year. We are still working on the tires. 

I took the trick-or-treat candy the kids got yesterday and I divided it up into 10 one gallon zip lock bags...about 3/4 full each. I figure that big holiday months I would not pull a bag out, like December, or during Easter (Easter candy.) I think the bags of candy are well hidden from the kids! Only problem is that *I* know where the candy is!!  Now I just need to stay out of it!! Haha!! We will be going to a Christmas parade before Thanksgiving and they will get parade candy on that day too so I can add that candy in to top off the bags. I know a gallon zip lock bag sounds like a LOT of candy and for ONE person it IS a LOT of candy! But when you have to divide it 8 ways that is only like getting one piece of candy 2 times a week per person. But it will still be a nice treat! 

I have stocked up on garbage bags and dish soap and more body soap. I don't think I have quiet a year's supply yet but I am definitely a lot closer to the year's supply now. (I used the $5 off a $25 purchase coupons at DG on these too.) 

Money is already kind of tight so stocking up is a slow process. But slow and steady gets the job done! 

I bought $15 worth of clothes (a small box full) for 6 yo DD at a garage sale and then the lady GAVE me all the rest of the girls clothes!! It ended up being two good size boxes of clothes for 6 yo DD!! One box was size 8 so they will be put up for her to wear next year! She is totally set for jeans for the next year or more! Oh, I did not actually 'buy' the clothes! I traded 5 chickens and 2 ducks so I got all of the clothes and the lady paid me $10!! (Someone else gave me the two ducks! LOL)

I also picked up 45 12" taper candles for $1 at the auction! For that price I can burn them in the evenings and leave the lights off to save the electric!

I also got a phone call from my cousin this morning and she asked me if I wanted a Blind Hem sewing machine!! I said, "Of course!" So I am going to meet up with her when she gets together with family for Thanksgiving to get it from her!! WOOT!! From my understanding it is in like new condition. It belonged to her husband's late wife. My cousin does not sew at all and now that they have two little kiddos it is just in the way! 

Also for anyone that has a JoAnn Fabrics near, if you sign up and get the ad in the mail it regularly has 40% and 50% off of one item coupons. They have the knit gloves for a $1 so if you use a coupon on them they will be .60 or .50. Or you can use the coupons on candles or lamp oil or other prep items! There are a lot of prep items that can be found in Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and JoAnn's that can be picked up for good prices if you have coupons! All three of these stores are located in my mall within walking distance of each other! Some of them offer coupons printed from the internet! Also my M's and J's take each others coupons! And when you have 6 kiddos that means you can use 7 coupons in one trip! LOL! So have all of your aunts, uncles, and in-laws sign up to get the J's ad in the mail! (Or you can sign them up! LOL) So in theory, I could get 7 pairs of black knit gloves for $3.50 if I had 7 coupons! (All black so there is no lonely only's!) My J's will actually let you use more than one coupon without giving you a bad time about it as long as you put them in separate transactions. 

I hope all of the things that I am doing and my brainstorming helps someone think of something they need to do that they may not have thought of....and I am open to any ideas you all could share with me to help me better plan!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

You sound like you have really thought some things out. It's almost too bad you already had such frugal habits or it would have been much easier to save the 2/3! 

It might have already been discussed and I missed it, but I would suggest shopping around on your insurance policies and also raising your deductibles to knock down the premiums as much as you can. We found we had wasted a lot of money thru the years by leaving our insurance deductibles at $500 instead of raising them to $1000 as soon as we could comfortably cover that.

When this pay cut actually goes into effect, you might even qualify for a "loan modification" to get your mortgage payment down, if you find you need that.

Congrats on all the sound planning you have done so far.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Keep your credit good. Otherwise, you might have a tire blow out and no way to replace it.

Notice, please, that I am not telling you to use your credit cards: I am telling you to keep your credit good!

Also, cash RULES! I found it more usefull than toiletires.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

MO_cows said:


> You sound like you have really thought some things out. * It's almost too bad you already had such frugal habits or it would have been much easier to save the 2/3! *
> 
> It might have already been discussed and I missed it, but I would suggest shopping around on your insurance policies and also raising your deductibles to knock down the premiums as much as you can. We found we had wasted a lot of money thru the years by leaving our insurance deductibles at $500 instead of raising them to $1000 as soon as we could comfortably cover that.
> 
> ...


*Isn't that the truth!! * 
Getting all of my insurance policies looked as is a top priority! But raising our deductible is really not an option right now with my oldest just turning 16 and he will be getting his license soon. 
I am planning on refinancing within the next 3 months. Mom says I should do it NOW so it is done in case the economy does totally collapse and I can not get it refinanced later. We owe 40% of what our original loan was 8 years ago. We have paid a lot down on it! So just refinancing it will bring down our monthly payment considerably. Plus we owe less than 50% of the appraised value so getting refinanced should not be a problem.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Pam - check into joining the next leg of the HT Seedtrain....in Gardening.


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## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

I don't know how much of this might apply to you, but FWIW, here goes:

Wife and I are retired and live sumptuously on a little under $20,000/year. We can live on about half that, if we want to, and mostly spend the rest on prep/long term things that will either, A) Produce for us in the future to save money, or B) Buy something that we cannot produce at the best possible price now, before it goes up. 

We figured out that cell phones are like lawyers--if they didn't exist, you would be able to do just fine without them. Get out of the phone contract any way you have to. It is just a money pit. Our landline phone is much more reliable for us.

We got a package deal on wireless internet and attached phone service through the IP, for $60/month, that includes unlimited long distance, caller ID, and some other stuff that I never use. 

I window-shop at the junkyard every trip I make to town. Wife shops the Goodwill Store for clothes. We haven't bought anything new for years, except socks, shoes, and underwear. We both shop flea markets, garage sales, farm auctions, estate auctions, classified ads, Craigslist, eBay, roadside sales (like the lawn mower/car/boat/trailer/truck/dog cage in someone's front yard), and utilize our extensive network of friends and acquaintences to save money. 

Wife hasn't used shampoo since she figured out that sodium lauryl sulfate aggravated her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. She uses baking soda worked into her hair dry, then washed with soft rain water and rinsed with diluted vinegar. (NO she doesn't smell like vinegar.) Her hair if full and thick at age 65 and no tangles or split ends at shoulder length. Use baking soda for deodorant, and a mix of baking soda and salt for tooth powder. 

We make hand soap from washed bacon frying grease and lye, then make laundry soap using that lye soap and washing soda/borax. We clean glass with rain water, a spoonfull of ammonia and a little rubbing alcohol. Xylol paint thinner = fuel injector cleaner. Shellac thinner/methanol ($8/gallon) = "gas treatment" to stop water problem in the gas tank (gas treatment is $3/pint). 

Heat with wood stove, trade work for wood. I built the wood stove. Junk mail and tree trimmings heat the house and workshop up to about December, usually. We added a couple interior doors to shut off the living room and front hallway that are never used, lowering our heating and cooling needs. I put IR perforated foil over the fiberglass insulation in the attic and cut our heat bill 20%--less effective if you have kids fanning the doors a lot. I cut some styrofoam sheets from packaging material (free) and duct taped aluminum foil over it to fit our basement windows, and cut the heat loss there dramatically. Now working on passive solar "window box" heaters, as made famous by The Mother Earth News. I insulated the water heater with foil covered bubble wrap and duct taped it on, then added a timer to shut off the water heater at night.

We refurbished an existing cistern and got rid of the county water bill entirely, with the bonus of SOFT rainwater! So, the homemade soaps work a lot better, and we get squeaky clean. 

I had a farmer friend uproot the shrubs in front of the house (those obligatory Yews that I've always hated) and planted strawberries and asparagus. We grow wild raspberries (free starts) in the fencerow for food and to make it impossible to climb the fence. I have another 15 grape starts to set out this Fall as soon as they go dormant, started from free cuttings in pots. 

We buy books we like at the Goodwill Store for entertainment reading, and some reference books, in lieu of watching any movies that we despise anyway. Only our pet cockatiel watches TV around here, and it is on antenna only. I noticed a distinct drop in pestering from the kids to buy overpriced toys and sugary cereals as soon as we got rid of the TV about 35 years ago. A side benefit was having a kid available when you needed one to help. 

We have NEVER, EVER bought any new furniture. I was fortunate to have a grandfather who made furniture, I made some of ours, we inherited some, and I found a few things cheap used. My shop is filled with used tools, refurbished old machines, and tools and machines I made. Likewise the tiller, lawn mower, and garden tractor and all its' implements. The only time I ever bought a new vehicle was when I worked for General Motors and got the employee discount = dealer cost and NO transport fees. Now, we keep an old vehicle and make our own repairs to keep initial cost, insurance, and tax/licensing fees at the minimum. Only carry the legally required PLPD insurance. We drive old S-10 Chevy pickups that get about 26 MPG and hold their value very well.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Texasdirtdigger said:


> Pam - check into joining the next leg of the HT Seedtrain....in Gardening.


I am in this round!! Just waitin' my turn!!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Pam6 said:


> *Isn't that the truth!! *
> Getting all of my insurance policies looked as is a top priority! But raising our deductible is really not an option right now with my oldest just turning 16 and he will be getting his license soon.
> I am planning on refinancing within the next 3 months. Mom says I should do it NOW so it is done in case the economy does totally collapse and I can not get it refinanced later. We owe 40% of what our original loan was 8 years ago. We have paid a lot down on it! So just refinancing it will bring down our monthly payment considerably. Plus we owe less than 50% of the appraised value so getting refinanced should not be a problem.


Pam, my insurance (car) went down over $100 per 6 month rating period simply by agreeing to an "ebill"...I still mail the payment (this was Allstate).
might be worth it for you, (and others) might ask for the discount


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## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

That post was getting long....

We can food from our 4 gardens areas on our one acre lot. I built a summer kitchen to keep the heat of summer cooking and canning out of the house, and to shade the south side which has reudced our need for AC to almost nothing. 

We shop discount groceries only: Ruler Foods (owned by Kroger, and carries Kroger brand items), Sav A Lot, Aldi's, Sam's Club for a FEW things like meat on a big sale, Gordon Food Service (restaurant supplier) for a few spices, most spices from Monterey Bay Spice Co. (internet order), rolled oats in 25 lb. bags from the feed store, wheat from the combine on the neighbor's farm (I grind it in a burr mill and wife bakes our bread). 

Freecycle provided the paint for a few projects around home, and Craigslist got my wife a treadmill (medical need for her MS problems), a high tech version that retails for $1,200--we paid $150 and it had 41 hours on it. I found her a $695 wheelchair at the junkyard, NEW, for $25. She doesn't need it yet, but she will someday. Her high blood pressure is treated with celery seed extract for about $5/month, and results are better than anything her doctor had to offer--doctor is amazed. Dietary supplements have kept her MS symptoms to a bare minimum for over 35 years. She just retired from her job 3 years ago. By contrast, her sister who had MS died miserably 10 years ago with crushed bones from too many steroids that depleted the calcium from them. Disclaimer: DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE in medical matters! I offer the above for informational purposes only--I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV nor the internet. 

We use a wringer washing machine to save time and water. Contrary to advertisements and popular belief, we can wash 4 loads of laundry and have them hung on the line in about an hour with the old Maytag wringer model. Can't do that with any automatic. Machine cost us about $160 in like new condition. I have an excellent 4 year old Maytag automatic I would love to sell, since she will never go back to using that again.

We save seeds from everything possible, and start new plants from cuttings. This year we saved seeds from popcorn, field corn, okra, tomatoes, green beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, kale, radishes, and several others. I got a free start of Egyptian (aka "walking") onions a couple years ago and will never have to buy onion seeds or sets again. We dig free plants such as blackberries, Dogwood trees, Eastern Red Cedar, Yucca, Tiger Lilies, Daffodils, Rose of Sharon, Tuliptree, Pin Oak, and many others from local fencerows, with permission, of course. That cut our landscaping costs to the bone.


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

You've had a lot of great replies, and I haven't read them all, but one suggestion might be... if you're able to, get hired on as holiday help. You can get an employee discount for gifts, and it may pan out as a pt job after Christmas. My son got his permanent job by starting as holiday help.

Moldy


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## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

Just shopping for the best price on insurance of any kind can be worth a huge savings. Call ALL of them for a quote, and make sure they are all quoting the same policy. Takes some time, but worth it. 

Sometimes buying your homeowners and car insurance at the same place can net an overall savings, too. I have no more loyalty to an insurance salesman than I do to a used car salesman. :grit:

Think USED for everything. Kids' school books, clothing (especially for growing kids), appliances (our seldom used electric dryer came from the county landfill), computers (shop on Craigslist and eBay, and get a keyboard from Goodwill Store for 2 bucks). Most of our canning jars came from farm auctions at less than $4/dozen = about half price. But, you get to scrub out the dirt. 

Eat what is in season in your own garden. Plant stuff that doesn't need to be canned or frozen, like potatoes and winter squash (Butternut is our favorite). Kale will produce here in southern Indiana for most of the year, and usually winters over for next Spring; likewise walking onions. 

Cut out driving whenever possible. We have to take our trash to the county landfill, so I got a couple extra barrels so we don't have to go as often. We make shopping lists, categorized by the stores where we will buy those things. When the list gets long enough to make a trip worthwhile, we go to Wal Mart, and also hit the Goodwill Store, Tractor Supply and a used bookstore that takes trade-ins in the same town. And, we watch for yard sales along the way. Driving slow saves gas, as does keeping the tires aired up. Keep the trunk or truck bed EMPTY if it doesn't need to be in there! Saves weight and thus gas. Clean and re-gap your spark plugs between tune us. Remove the tailgate from the pickup truck, if it isn't needed for the load coming up--cuts wind resistance and saves gas. 



I have a barrel just for aluminum scrap, which I accumulate from cans along the road, stuff from Freecycle, throwaways from family and friends and shop junk. About once a year I sell about 50 bucks worth of aluminum.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks Machinist! That is a lot of fantastic ideas you gave!!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh, I was also able to put $46 in CASH from my swagbucks into my savings this week! My mom wanted two sets of Fleece sheets from Amazon so I purchased them for her and she is paying me for them! I know $46 is not a lot but when I add it in with the other money I have already set aside it sure does add up! So if my mom continues to want things I can turn my swagbucks into cash instead of having to spend it all on Amazon! (I could get paypal with my swagbucks but the payout is much better for Amazon gift cards.)


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

Excellent post machinist and good of you to share!


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Pam,

Can you sew? If you can, can you do costumes? If so, you could put an ad out that you can do COSPLAY costumes and charge for the costume. 

I am in process right now of having a Steampunk Costume made (in very good taste I might add - lol) and am paying the girl for the fabric, buttons, etc. plus paying her a flat rate to make the costume. No, we don't live close together, I took my measurements and sent them to her and she is making the costume for me.

There is a huge market for this out in Cosplay land..if you can make costumes, you can make $$ if you do good work and are on time. Most of us are already planning and having costumes made for next years Comic con and Dragon Con, but one of the biggest costumers is no longer taking orders, i.e. see here: http://purpledoll.co.nr/ 

That is who I had to make my costumes as I couldn't find someone in the states that sews and can make costumes..she made my last costume and my son's costume: here was mine: http://sumi.byethost4.com/wordpress/?page_id=39

and here was my son's" http://sumi.byethost4.com/wordpress/?page_id=25

Hope those show up. Total cost was around 500.00 for both. So that gives you an idea of what you can charge (that was 2 years ago). this year I am paying 150.00 for my costume plus buying all the material, it's basically a skirt and jacket (I am buying the hat separately and the boots).. here is that costume:
http://www.abneypark.com/march2008shoot/finn-04.jpg

Anyway, it is an idea and places to advertise are the various cosplay sites, dragoncon sites, comic con sites, etc.

Just a thought for you!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Sidepasser, those are amazing costumes! I can sew but I am afraid my sewing skills are not THAT good! 
Here are some samples of what I have made:
Butterfly outfit 
http://pamspride.blogspot.com/2009/04/dds-butterfly-easter-outfit.html

Pumpkin outfit:
http://pamspride.blogspot.com/2008/10/dds-pumpkin-outfit.html

Patriotic outfit:
http://pamspride.blogspot.com/2008/05/happy-memorial-day.html

I have several other outfits pictured on my blog.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Wow - Congrats on the Blind Hemmer.....GREAT Score!!! Draperies are impossible with out one. Really adds a professional finish!

I agree with Sidepasser. I have a friend that sews formal and Pagent Dresses.....She does amazinly well. She gets a 75% down payment - non refundable.. so, she is NEVER out any of her own $$. Also, makes them sign a contract. They have to think twice, if they change their mind and she doesn't lose out either way!


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

I think machinist has covered most all the bases.

Used is good.

Never buy anything unless it is on clearance.

If there is a U-pull U-pay auto salvage yard nearby, you might be able to get some tires cheaply from there. At the one in ABQ, yo can get a tires for the following prices;
TIRE - 12" (AS- IS) $12.99 
TIRE - 13" (AS-IS) $13.99 
TIRE - 14" (AS-IS) $14.99 
TIRE - 15" (AS-IS) $15.99 
TIRE - 16" (AS-IS) $16.99 

http://www.upullandpay.com


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

GoldenCityMuse, that is a really neat place! To bad the closest one to me is 6 hours away!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

My financial plan took a MAJOR HIT today!! DH hit a deer this morning and totaled his car! We have insurance on it but because it is a 2000 with 182K miles on it we are not expecting much for it.
www.pamspride.blogspot.com
Now we will either have to dip into savings or get a loan.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I am so sorry to hear that. Is he ok??


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

beaglebiz said:


> I am so sorry to hear that. Is he ok??


Yes, he is fine. He did not get hurt when when the air bag went off.

I must say that at this point I am at a total loss. Right now we are just waiting on insurance to know if they are going to fix the car...I highly doubt they will...or how much money they are going to give us for the car. Either way we are going to have to dip into savings or get a loan. I just do not want to do either.


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## hsmom2four (Oct 13, 2008)

Oh no Pam! I'm very sorry to hear that. Glad he is okay though. I guess it could have been a lot worse. Praying you find a good car for a fantastic price.


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## Maggie (May 12, 2002)

You might be surprised how much the ins. company will cover on the car. After all, it was a 2000 year model. Let EVERYONE you know that you'll be looking to buy a good, used car. God will provide


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

you might be surprised what the KBB price is too. I recently looked up my honda civic with a quarter million miles, and it still worth $3,600 (2001). I recently got one of my boys a nice pick up truck (dodge ram 4 wd...i think its a quarter ton) for $1,500. I have two body spots to work on, but the truck purrs like a kitten. Maggie is right, God will provide.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

When it rains it pours...or so the saying goes!! Sigh.... 
DH has been driving my 15 passenger van back and forth to work, 55 miles EACH way! On Saturday morning HE HIT ANOTHER DEER with my van!! It cracked the bumper and put a dent in the drivers door. Think the bottom quarter (whole quarter) is one big dent! So not damaged enough to justify claiming on the insurance but it is enough to aggravate me every time I see it! I am going to see if he can take it to his buddy's shop and pop the inside panel off and push the dent back out.
Then Sunday when we came out of church the van had a flat tire! 

Update on the car situation:
We are going to look at a car tomorrow! A 1996 Subaru: AWD, 128K miles, automatic, most everything replaced (front windshield so no cracks, starter, alternator, battery, front tires, belts), Needs back tires soon, I forgot to ask about the brakes. $2500 asking price. 
We just pulled out the title to DH's old car and he has put on just over 100K miles in 3 years! So if he can get 100K miles in the next 3 years on this car that would be great! Insurance is giving us $1700 so we would have to come up with $800 (or less).

I told my MIL about us going to look at this car and she just went off on a tangent about not getting a car that is 10 years old and older because everything will be completely rusted out and the rusted pieces will just fall off and pull everything else down with it! She even offered to cosign on a loan for us (we have good credit so that would not be necessary anyways.) She wants us to get a loan and I am guessing a NEW car! 

If this car can get him through at least the next 6 months (without him ruining it) I am sure that my brother would buy it off of us for at least $2K and then he can look for something else in the spring.

I hate feeling like we have to make an impulse decision with buying a car! But the gas is going to cost $800 a month for DH to continue to drive my van back and forth to work and of course I am home without a vehicle until we get another one.

So we are going to LOOK at this car tomorrow.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Pam, Subarus can be awesome! My family in semi-mountainous country has gone thru a few, some went to 300,000 miles. I had one here, kept it til 22 yrs old, running good, let a down and out neighbor have it for $200, it's still running at about 26 yrs of service. Good luck with this!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

We looked at it tonight and it runs good and drives good but the body was rougher than we thought it would be...so we are thinking about it. We are actually comparing everything we see online to it and so far the only thing comparable is another 1998 Subaru with 20K more miles for $2900. But the body looks cleaner, nicer. 

The '96 that we test drove tonight definitely road nicer than DH's Alero that he did have did.
My prepper advice: have an extra car on standby so you do not have to be in a rush to find a car when something does happen! I find car shopping to be very stressful!


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

That happened to me in 1999. I was a contractor for IBM. IBM was in trouble, cut my pay in half, and erased most of my benefits I had earned. (since then, the IBM PC market fell off the map)
I tried for several years to make it on what little I was making. Things got behind and I came within 5 days of losing everything I had. It was in 2001 I started working part time jobs for the extra income. 

I've been working a second job now for 10 years. Once you become addicted to the extra needed income, you can't get rid of those 'golden handcuffs'. The extra income has been extramely helpful ever since the gas prices went thru the roof and I commute over 100 miles a day. My extra paycheck has saved my butt a couple of times when the checkbook was almost zero then ... BANG.... the extra paycheck gets deposited and I'm out of the red again and have money for expenses and fuel. This year I have had several dental and car emergencies. Without the extra pay, I don't know how I would have met those obligations. Week to week still isn't easy .... but I'm still able to tread water without drowning and going under money wise ....
Ohio Rusty ><>


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

Offer them less for the car! Also, your MIL needs to consider that paying out $800 for a car is nothing, especially since a new car would be closer to $400 per MONTH, especially when you consider that you won't be able to get liability only on insurance if you have a loan. Even if you only use the car for 6 months, you're still money ahead. And never buy a NEW car! Get a lease return that is a year old if you want something that new. Always run cars into the ground - they are not money-makers!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

campfiregirl said:


> Offer them less for the car! Also, your MIL needs to consider that paying out $800 for a car is nothing, especially since a new car would be closer to $400 per MONTH, especially when you consider that you won't be able to get liability only on insurance if you have a loan. Even if you only use the car for 6 months, you're still money ahead. And never buy a NEW car! Get a lease return that is a year old if you want something that new. Always run cars into the ground - they are not money-makers!


That is my EXACT thinking!! I talked to the guy and he is willing to go down to $2300. I offered $2K and said he has had higher offers and turned them down. But it is going to cost us the $600 (extra from our regular budget) in gas just for DH to drive my van so I consider it a wash! ($1700 of the $2300 would come from the insurance payout.) I have also talked to my brother and he said he would possibly be interested in buying the car off of us if we were to find something else in the next few months...as long as DH does not ruin it! :bash: The guy said he would hold the car until Friday for us to make up our minds...so I am hoping he does. I will call him later tonight. 
Plus I don't think we could have even got $1700 out of the Alero with the 182K miles and the tire rod stuff was BAD. If someone would have tried to test drive it they would have got 500 feet and jumped out like it was on fire! LOL! So we will actually have a car that is more than $600 better than what he had.

Oh yeah, and I explained this to my MIL and she has really come around to my way of thinking! Plus she went with us to look at the car and DH crawled underneath and said it had a rubber coating on the under side and that it was not all rusted!


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

Ok, we got the car for $2300. It drives SO MUCH better than his old car!! Even the kids said it was better! 
Whew...that is done! Now back to thinking and prepping for March (my anticipated date for the pay cut!)


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I feel like I actually accomplished a lot today! I called to get our house refinanced and the lady said we should have no problem going with a home equity loan instead of a complete refi so we will only have loan fees, about $500, instead closing costs.
I am looking at changing our home and auto insurance and I had my agent email me a policy and it says in big bold letters : If you insure your automobiles with us you can save $344 a year on your home owners insurance! UGH!! We have had our home AND auto with this company for 14 years!! DH used this company before we got married! 

How many of you have your taxes and insurance held in escrow? My new payment for a 20 year loan will be $290 a month plus taxes and insurance. The $290 a month is totally doable but I am concerned that if I do not escrow in the taxes and insurance that I will have trouble coming up with two large payment amounts a year. But I also know of people who have gone YEARS without paying their taxes before the tax man has taken their house. (I would never consider not paying it unless I was beyond desperate.) Insurance would be a must to pay as long as I have a mortgage but I could get by with the minimum allowed if money gets that tight. I know the mortgage company can do some pretty nasty things and charge HUGE fees if they found out you did not have your own insurance. There is always income tax return that I could possibly use to cover the taxes and insurance every year.

Any advise?


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

I have my taxes and insurance held in escrow just because I don't want to have to try to come up with that large of a chunk of money at one time. We are on a fixed income and it would kill us otherwise.


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## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

Personally for me I would escrow the money in for the taxes. We do on the house we own now. When we sold our home in CO we became the bank for the buyers. The taxes on that house are included in the mortgage for them, however, I set aside (or am suppose to!) a certain amount from each payment and then we pay the taxes ourselves. Knowing the buyers history prompted us to do it that way. However, for the last several months I have not been able to do that (our bank account was almost $0 and the money just wasn't there). Now come Feb we have to come up with it. Our arrangement, our fault.

If the money is taken before hand and you never see it then you do not count on it to live on. Makes all the difference (at least to us). We never count on tax returns, ever. For the last several years we have had to (unexpectedly) pay every time and coming up with that money was hard to do. This year was the first time, in a long time, we actually got some back.

However, on the insurance for our house we pay that separate and always have.

Hope that helps some.


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## hsmom2four (Oct 13, 2008)

We pay the taxes and insurance through escrow too. They don't charge anything to do it and it keeps us from having to worry about. Plus they pay it in the fall when its the cheapest time to pay it. Even if we banked the money for it in a separate savings account it wouldnt make more than a few dollars in interest so its not worth it.

Glad you hear you got the car and you are happy with it!!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

did you check to see if the head gasket was replaced on the subaru...they seem to have a problem with them (My oldest DS bought a 2000 outback, and two weeks ater he got it, the hg went. we were lucky to have a warranty)


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

All taxes & insurance in escrow so much easier.

While your @ it Pam6, ask what you can do to lower your home owners insurance. I submitted receipts for fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors. Also got a discount for the metal roof. 

Few years ago we both took the 3 hour defensive driving class cost was $55 but it has given us a 10% discount on car insurance every year. In a few short weeks when DH is unemployed I'll switch the car over to pleasure instead of a commuting vehicle.
I also got an extra discount for the small life insurance policy required by the mortgage company by using the same insurance company.

hsmom2four, I had no idea that's why the tax billed is paid in Oct. 

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

don't forget the good will or couminity 2nd hand stores I'v found some great deals on coats and clothes all 3 of my pressure canners came from there .I try to plan ahead keep a pad of paper to list all your shoping needs and make several stops in 1 trip saveing gas carpooling if posable can save a lot not only in gas but your auto matiance cost and repairs go way down if you dont put as many miles on


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## Maggie (May 12, 2002)

Glad to hear about your purchase of the Subaru.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I took a 100% cut in pay last december. Greatest move I have ever made. I took the advice of many on this forum. I was prepared for the cut. Now I enjoy life so much more.


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## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

I'll echo again, save up as much cash as you can.

put it in a firebox not for protection from theft, but protection from fire. get at least one month and preferably up to 3 or more months.

don't buy any food you won't eat normally.

Otherwise, plan sounds good.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I am on the way out so I can't read the whole thread but I wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and praying for you!!


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