# As the budget tightens, what cuts have you made ?



## ladytoysdream

Well here we are several years into his retirement, and the budget has gone tight.
In the summer, it won't be so bad, because he has a part time job, and I do a few
things on the side to bring in a bit of extra money.
It just seems that I seriously question things we want to buy more than I used to.
Trying to get the biggest bang for the buck possible. Doing cost comparisons a lot.

One thing we gave up this winter is soda. Neither one of us drank a lot of it. Made
the switch over to kool aid. If I do get a bottle of juice, I only fill the glass half full
and then add water for the balance.

I just recently sold off about 1/3 of my chickens. I can't justify having extra eggs and
not enough egg customers to keep up with them. So this will help with the grain costs.

We are less than 6 months from having no house payment. I been throwing extra
at the balance since the first of the year. It's going to help a lot to have that bill gone.

So, what have you had to do ?


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## MELQ

our biggest change is the way we eat . cutting out processed foods and buying more fresh veggies i always recommend the Tightwad Gazette books to anyone wanting to save money they are from the late 80's- early 90's but still give great ideas


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## frogmammy

I just did some checking...basic (utilities) up $44 a month since Jan 2013. Now that is NOT counting "extras", such as storage fees (up $50), groceries, medicine, taxes and insurances.

Mon


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## Micheal

Never been one to really budget.
Although with the wife's past 3 months of procedures (chemo) between co-pays and added costs the old pocketbook has really taken a hit. We've become more aware of where the money is going and what's coming in as replenishment.
Guess we have been really lucky with the years of planning for retirement to be able to bounce back from these set-backs -guess I better add a "so far" about these bounce-backs...... as we've found you can never plan for them.


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## alleyyooper

More eating of wild food we gather while in season and freezing some, canning some too.
You can find a recipe for about any thing growing with the internet.
Cooking smaller meals so there are no or very little left overs that seem to not get eaten and go to waste in the back of the fridge.

Tea is cheaper than coffee and also has some health benefits so I do that for my morning drink rather than coffee. Rest of the day is water plain old clear water comes form the well, Maybe if city water I would do some thing else but it isn't.

Hunt and fish and eat pretty much what I shoot and catch. Some times I get more than we can use so give it away. Game is hard with so dam many city slickers who turn there noses at possums, ***** and coyote meat.
When the freezers are full they are full all there is to it.

Use honey and don't buy sugar except to make syrup for the bees.

 Al

 Al


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## Forcast

Sold all my birds. Huge savings in just buying a dozen eggs. I unplugged everything. Only plug stuff back in the I'm using unplug again. Cut down the amount of cats. One car on the road.


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## MoBookworm1957

Cut the cable out several years ago.
Just got Internet.
Grow a lot of my food, can, dehydrate, freeze.
Make up meal plans, rotate them for 16 weeks at a time.
Leftovers if possible gets make into vegetable soup, pot pies.
Make my own bread, pasta,cut out processed foods.
only things plugged in all the time is refrig, freezer.
Heat doesn't come on till December then in bathroom only, air not till July.
Garden all year in flower pots.
Layer clothing get chilled add something, get hot take something off.


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## Jlynnp

While we are very fortunate to have the income we do, we have cut back by not going out to eat like we used to. Of course now going out to eat would involve a 45 minute drive not a couple blocks. We have cut back on groceries as we find we just do not eat as much, and have found it more cost effective to raise our own meat. I do can what I can, I can make our bread but we really eat very very little of it so a loaf once a month or so isn't a big deal. I wish there was a way to cut back on medical bills but unfortunately they don't seem to go down. We really did safe a huge chunk of change by moving to TN from Michigan. We had a house in town in MI on a city lot and our property taxes were more than we pay for our small farm here. Utilities are much less and our car insurance dropped in half. I am sure we ill need to adjust as things go on because prices just keep going up.


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## pixiedoodle

WE HAVE DECIDED THAT EATING OUT WILL MOSTLY BE ONLY WITH GIFT CARDS GIVEN TO US AS GIFTS. WE ARE AT CHILI'S YEST. WITH OUR GIFT CARD FROM CHRISTMAS THAT WE FORGOT WE HD. FOUND ONE FOR APPLEBES AS WELL IN THE SAME DRAWER..WE'RE SAVING IT FOR WHEN THE MOOD HITS US THIS SUMMER. WE DON'T BUY AS MANY GROCERIES ALTHO THE PRICES NEVER GO DOWN & WE THINK WHAT WE SPEND NOW IS MORE THAN BEFORE WE CUT BACK JUST FROM RISING COSTS. WE HAVE A FREEZER & A HALF FRZR. FULL. EVERY TIME WE HAVE LEFT OVERS WE TRY TO MAKE A SOUP, STEW OR CASSEROLE FROM THOSE LEFTOVERS & WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PANTRY OR FRZR, PART IT OUT INTO SINGLE SIZE SERVINGS & IT GOES INTO THE FREEZER FOR LATER. GOT LOTS OF SOUPS IN BOTH FREEZERS, UNORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO HAVE SODIUM FREE DIET NOW SO I CANNOT CONSUME THE SOUPS . HOWEVER MY DH CAN AS WELL AS MY DD & HER DH. SO, NONE WILL BE WASTED, WE STRETCHED THAT FOOD DOLLAR AS FAR AS WE COULD & WASTED LITTLE TO NOTHING. IT IS DEF. A MONEY SAVER IN THE END.


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## whiterock

Haven't really made any cuts recently. Pretty much quit eating out a couple years ago when radiation messed up taste buds, now I can taste again, but the folks I used to eat out with don't anymore. I buy things on sale at the store now and buy in quantities to keep me stocked till they go on sale again. Bought a couple pair of Wranglers at TSC the other day cause they were on sale for 20% off.
Aside form drugs and entertainment in the form of TV, I seldom have charges. Just got a letter from one credit card, said lowering my limit because I hadn't used the card in 23 months. Oh, well.
NO debts to concern myself with on regular basis. HOuse paid, vehicles paid. Might drive 300 miles in a month, if I go visit or go to dr or whatever . Usually less than 200 miles a month. Fill the most driven pickup once a month, car gets a fill up every couple of months, just use it to go see brother or when I take grandkids to doc or dentist. Occasionally to keep it functional.


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## CountryMom22

Cut out almost all subscriptions, including local newspaper. Combine all trips into town. Carpooling with other parents for kids. Growing even more of our own food. Sticking to a grocery budget and if the items aren't on sale, they aren't in my cart! That has taken some getting used to for the family. Have enough chickens to feed ourselves and have enough to barter with chiropractor for adjustments, and to barter with my brother for venison. Trade veggies with local friends for things like squash that I don't grow because I'm the only one in the family that likes them.


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## Terri

Cutting back is a game to me, and it pays pretty well. I call it a profitable hobby.

This month I switched garbage companies. They are under new management, raised their prices twice, and they do not always pick up the garbage when they are supposed to.

Their competition looks to be the better choice, and the neighbors who have switched says it is significantly cheaper. And, I have noticed that they always pick up on their assigned day.


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## DogPatch

Burning our trash has saved us another monthly bill. Recycle/compost what we can and burn the rest!


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## Oregon1986

We do a lot to cut costs but a few things are making our own detergent,raising our own meat, growing our own produce,buying second hand as much as possible


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## Bungiex88

Found a cheaper cell phone provider, and no TV provider in the house. No landline phone in the house. I wash all my cloths in cold water.


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## pixiedoodle

DON'T BUY WHAT WE DON'T NEED NO MATTER IF IT IS FOOD, CLOTHES SHOES, CAR STUFF, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. IF NOT OUT & IN NEED, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. M MEDS ARE SO MUCH HIGHER RIGHT NOW IT IS TAKING A TOLL. HOWEVER, DH QUIT DRIVING HIS HONDA SUV & STARTED DRIVING MY OLD SATURN TO WORK AT HIS PT JOB. SAVES MILEAGE ON HIS SUV & GAS CSTS AS WELL.


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## MoBookworm1957

Bungiex88 said:


> Found a cheaper cell phone provider, and no TV provider in the house. No landline phone in the house. I wash all my cloths in cold water.


Went to prepaid cell phone, this way no sneaky fees and charges.
No cable or TV charges, I own my equipment and several extra modems no fees hidden or other wise.
Thinking about getting rid of internet to it went up another $20.00 dollars this month.
Will still be able to go online to visit, just from the library is all.
It cost $1.00 to wash clothes and $1.00 to dry clothes usually only have 2 loads a week.
This way I get my exercise too. Just a block down then a block back to my apartment.
Garden is planted, then grocery bill for fresh produce will be cut in half.
Rather read a book, or knit, crochet, quilt then watch mindless tv.
Haven't had bread in a while, so make my bread from scratch.
Same with pasta noodles, sauces,salsa,pie fillings all home canned.
Make sweets and pie crusts,pizza dough by hand.
Cut out soda,only time I get soda now if someone brings me one.
Same thing with ice cream.Leftovers are made into pot pies, casseroles then divided up into single servings. Then off to freezer for future meals. That's what I'm doing tomorrow. Dividing up chicken dishes for the freezer. Nothing is left plugged in except freezer small chest, refrigerator,coffee pot, microwave. Reuse,recycle,compost,repurpose nothing goes to waste.I alter my clothing if need be.


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## pixiedoodle

bookworm, thanks for all your in-put. lots of great ideas. things i hadn't even thot of. you are one indoustrious lady! keep sharing ! i get a lot of great ideas from your posts. thanks!


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## ladytoysdream

A few years ago, we switched out vehicle and fire insurance to a different agency and company. Saved over $ 400 a year on the vehicles. Fire stayed about the same but have a better plan. I pay each of these as a 1 year payment. So that gets rid of monthly fees and costs of postage to mail.

We both use cheap minute tracfone cell phones. We also have a house phone and I use it when I can to save my minutes on my cell phone. I have my DSL for internet through our phone company. If I could figure out how to get the Direct TV bill down. It's his entertainment so I keep my mouth shut.

We are now down to 4 payments on the house. At the first of the year, we still had over a year to go. I throw whatever I can at it. I even rolled the loose change here recently. That was $ 200 worth toward the balance.

We have his money, her money, and the budget money. Budget money is our SS and that is for the household bills. His money is his from his part time job. And her money is from selling a few things here and there. So like in TSC today, he gave me money for his purchase and I paid for mine. I think the cashier thought I was a bit weird when I said, two orders on the cart and made 2 separate transactions. Hey it works for us


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## MoBookworm1957

pixiedoodle said:


> bookworm, thanks for all your in-put. lots of great ideas. things i hadn't even thot of. you are one indoustrious lady! keep sharing ! i get a lot of great ideas from your posts. thanks!


Thank you, but just living the way I was raised. Nothing special.Renters and car insurance bundled together. Because I am a Veteran I get discount on insurance.
Even finalized burial all ready. Again because I am a Veteran going to be burial Veteran's cemetary in my home state of Missouri. Save money by using VA hospitals,clinics,doctors. Later in life, if need be will go to Veteran's Nursing Home.
This way not a burden to sons. If I travel and can get discounts through hotels by being a member of American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars (life time membership) I use them.


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## CountryMom22

I used to buy books, used, from garage sales or the yearly library sale but now I limit myself to using the library's services so I can borrow books, CD's and movies for nothing. And by signing up for my Library's automatic renewal plan, there are no over due book fees either. And a bunch of friends and I use the free library box that is set up in the local laundramat. You take whatever books you want to read and return whenever you are done. I also donate lots of books to them that are given to me by others. It helps to keep the house tidier too. Friends and I swap books amongst ourselves before we donate them to this little library box too.

I have a friend that is in a difficult financial position, so she comes to the gym with me as my guest and doesn't have to pay for a membership herself. It doesn't save me money on the membership, but she will offer to drive if we are leaving from home, so I save on gas. If not, we meet in the parking lot.


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## In The Woods

Fugality has been the norm for me all my life. Maybe it has something to do with my father living through the Great Depression?

For myself, it is simply staying away from stores and websites. We do our grocery run twice a month. We have a running list on the dining room table with an inventory of food and staples in our pantry. When you take something from the pantry, you put it on the list to be replaced at the next grocery run. Then during the run, if it is on the list it is purchased - nothing more.

This is just my broad view of the subject.


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## pixiedoodle

i got dd over here to take a load of freezer stuff... all those soups i made in the past yr-6 mths that had sodium went home with my dd. shared a good deal of roast, a turkey breast, hamburger etc. she was quite loaded down & it has now filled HER freezer. glad it didn't get tossed. what she doesn't like she can dispose of or pass it on, or feed it to the dogs? anyway, i now see that our ig upright frzr is lookin g pretty empty . however it is loaded with frozen toms & shreded zuc from last yrs garden. hope to turn the zuc. into spicy relish & the toms into juice , v-8 or soup to go back into the frzr. found a few pkgs of meat so that was a nice bonus for dh. i still think it will take into fall to use up SOME of the meats. hope by oct. the meats will be used & it will be time to buy a fresh batch for dh... nothing will go to waste. now that we are older & our dietary needs have changed, we may not need that big of a frzr. maybe we can swap with dd & take her small one & give her out big one. makes sense to me.


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## emdeengee

We have (and will) cut down and cut out expenses . Some of these will be the natural outcome of retirement (less gasoline when you don't have to travel every day) and others will be our choice (cheaper internet packages). However expenses will continue to rise and it is unlikely that pensions will rise at the same rate so I think that it is important to keep earning some extra income especially in the early years of retirement when most will still have good health. After the huge financial crash in 2008 (and the idiotic repealing of laws intended to protect the investors against the crooked big banks and investment firms) I would never put my trust for retirement in our investments growing to keep up with expenses.


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## Jeani

We cut way back on all nonessentials. Define wants from needs. Yup, it's tight but doable. No animals anymore and just grow stuff in the garden that we use and can, can, can


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## pixiedoodle

I'LL POST THIS HERE AS WELL:
I HAVE BOUT 300+ PINT CANNING JARS I WOULD LIKE TO SELL. ASKING 30 CENTS EACH... also have several waterbath canners of various sizes. some not used. i have some qt jaras as well but not so many. if you buy all my jars i'll throw in a water bath canner or 2.
i am in a burb of kansas city on ks side.


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## lmrose

We are in transition in the way we live. After sub-dividing our small farm we haven't yet sold it so money is limited. We have had many offers but can't sell until we have a camping place set up on the land we kept. So far next year's garden spot is dug up, prepared; planted with Buck Wheat for a cover crop and fenced. My husband is building an outhouse presently. Before winter the building he made for a garden/ agricultural building shed has to have two more windows and needs a basement door and shingles. He also needs to build a movable shed big enough for a goat and 4 hens They will board in the winter..We need a trailer of some kind to live in from April to November. The trailer and more building supplies cost quite a bit. We have an apartment in town where we will both be when the snow flies.
With rent for the apt which includes heat; cell phone, power; the land line we still have at the farm and internet ;our fixed monthly expenses are $782 a month . My own income is $1,037. a month. That leaves $255. a month for grocery items or anything else. So here is how I budget every month.
First the land line will be gone when we live in town for the winter. That will be $40 off of fixed expenses. So there will be $295. a month for anything not fixed expenses. I budget monthly as things change month to month. This month I have to pay the eye surgeon $265. for the lens he is putting in my eye hoping I can see after. The operation is covered by our public health insurance but the lens is not. That is the least expensive lens but I will still need glasses to see up close. After I pay that there will be left $30 for the remainder of July! But that is okay as we are eating out of the garden and what I canned and froze and dehydrated last year.
Also when we need toilet tissue, Borax for washing clothes. dish liquid, honey, w/w flour, oats. maple syrup, yeast. sunflower oil, butter, peanut butter,cheese, flax seed, chia seeds,nuts or spices,and red wine vinegar I keep a close eye on the pantry and only buy these things when they are on sale. Not on sale items wait until they come on sale.If I want too I could eliminate some of the list and we would eat fine still. But so far there is no need too.That basically is all I buy from a store.
We keep minimal clothing and I get what we need on sale or from thrift shops. I gave up purchasing anything new not on sale years ago. Now with renting an apt it is costing us more to live but at almost 71 and 72 yrs we don't feel like having hard work to do in the winter anymore. How we live in town comes out of my pension not my husbands. We said if we were going to pay rent in town it had to be done on one pension because if one of us dies the remaining person does not get to keep the others Old Age Pension. So by living in town on one pension we know either of us could survive alone if we had too.

My husband uses his pension to buy the materials he needs to finish our camp site we are keeping; for his personal needs; like gas for his car or glasses etc. and animal feed.What ever is left each month we save for our cremation account or savings acct. I also save all our nickels; dimes and quarters. You would be surprised how they can add up and are used for anything extra like the occasional ice cream treat or extra gas to visit someone or like we did a few months ago; we went to see the movie Maudie. We consider his pension an extra blessing. Without it we couldn't afford a trailer or to fix a place to camp. In the future if we lose our pensions in government cut backs we will be ready to camp full time if we have to give up the apt. I also have given away and sold everything we don't need and my husband is doing the same with tools etc.
We have always believed in living within our income no matter what that income is. We are better off now than in past decades when we were so poor one year we couldn't afford toilet tissue! So we are trying to prepare for our later years before anything drastic happens to our health.
One thing we will always do is plant a garden and eat our own food to try to stay healthy . That is our plan and we are sticking to it.


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## sisterpine

Very timely topic. This past year has been an expensive one for us with car repairs and one vehicle totaled. I did manage to pay off two vehicles but the new one has a payment so I only really paid off half the autos! I am seriously considering re-homing several of my goats and pea fowl. I would like to keep 3 goats and maybe a pair of pea fowl. I really enjoy them running around the farm. My feed bill is almost up to 300 per month and that has got to go. The house is paid for but the taxes and insurance are almost three grand a year paid once per year. I am going to look into lower cost taxes for disabled seniors maybe. My current plan is to get the new car paid off asap. If I lived alone I would do away with the tele but my DB and DD would tie me up and put me in a closet. Unfortunately they do not pay the bills...We are eating much less pre made food and living 30 from the closest restaurant is a blessing. I buy several of things I find on sale and have a well stocked pantry with lots of items canned last year


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## Forcast

Reduced home insurance, cut trash pick up, one car only, reduced trips, cut cable phone internet, no farm animals, reduced xmas gifts to gchildren only, same with birthdays, pay bills online no stamps, food shop once month.unplugged everything.


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## MoBookworm1957

CountryMom22 said:


> I used to buy books, used, from garage sales or the yearly library sale but now I limit myself to using the library's services so I can borrow books, CD's and movies for nothing. And by signing up for my Library's automatic renewal plan, there are no over due book fees either. And a bunch of friends and I use the free library box that is set up in the local laundramat. You take whatever books you want to read and return whenever you are done. I also donate lots of books to them that are given to me by others. It helps to keep the house tidier too. Friends and I swap books amongst ourselves before we donate them to this little library box too.
> 
> I have a friend that is in a difficult financial position, so she comes to the gym with me as my guest and doesn't have to pay for a membership herself. It doesn't save me money on the membership, but she will offer to drive if we are leaving from home, so I save on gas. If not, we meet in the parking lot.


CountryMom22,
Have you checked out BookBub and or Google Play?
They have free books for your tablet or laptop.
Sometimes you can get a book for $.49 before it goes free.
I joined a round robin for books a few years ago.
Started out with 15 people now down to 7. 
Beings I read everything it helps me with books.


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## hunter63

Quitting smoking saves me $5200 buck a year.
Actually cut back on the garden.

Started, grew and harvested,.... canned, froze, dried.....what used to be for 4 people to two that have cut back on eating..

We had put back too much...and was not getting used....Hate tossing stuff...but also hate eating "sniffed food"...as in "does this smell OK to you?"
(BTW LOTS ON BALL JARS TO SELL as well) SE Wisconsin.

So instead of freezing zucchini for 4 years then tossing it......t is over.
Got rid if a big old upright freezer to a small chest .......
These days gardening is "Going to the Farmers Market" a day or two a week and an "outing and exercise

Media....is a big deal...phone (2 flip cells), MiFi Hotspot (interweb work everywhere), Dish+2 (Place).
Looking for options for TV...1000 channels and about 7 or 8 we actually watch....(nothing ON)

Fixing on a large yard sale.....and will be selling the big boat....and dump trailer


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## Shrek

Only cut backs I did was ditch the cell phone and high speed internet since I wasn't working anymore and when my coffee maker died I went back to using the 1970s era perk pot instead of buying a new coffee maker


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## hunter63

Went to the gym this morning for my work out.....
On the way home...called DW and asked what she was planning on for brunch....Had my muffin at 7: 00 am.

Said she didn't know.....so I suggested Subs from Subway.....off the low calorie menu

2 -foot longs $14 bucks......(no dressing, make them soggy)...no chips or soda.
Cut in half ... .. Lemonade and Baked chips...

Other half for lunch tomorrow.
4 meals, $3.50 each..... No dishes, no cooking......no wasted cold cuts... 4 kinds, cheese from deli, and all the veggies.
Am I a bad person?.....Bhohahaha


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## pixiedoodle

never thot about sub sandwich that way but think we might give it try. we have a sub about once a yr... this would be a treat for us. I've tried making those & the ingredients are quite costly! good idea hunter 63!!


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## In The Woods

We do that with Subway when we do our grocery runs every other week. Convenient since there is a Subway right inside WalMart. I will also get it made dry and add my Itilian dressing when I eat it later (Mrs. has her mayo).

On our runs I do treat myself to a bowl of chili at Wendy's for lunch. I really like it and fills me up for $2.79 (not sure of price).


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## pixiedoodle

ANYONE ELSE STOCKING UP THEIR FRZR OR PANTRY WITH SOUPS OR MAKINGS FOR SOUP FOR THE FIRST FALL COLD SANP.? AROUND HERE IN THE KANSAS CITY AREA IT IS USUALLY IN LATE OCT. I HAVE TOM SOUP FROZEN & READY TO ADD MILK IN THE FRZR. BEEN FRZNG. EXCESS TOMS AS WELL TO BE USED IN MOST SOUPS & CASSEROLES THIS WINTER. BEEN SAVING BEEF BROTH FROM COOKING ROASTS IN THE NESCO & SAME WITH CHICKEN BROTH FROM BAKED OR SIMMERED CHICKEN PIECES. WE HEARD THAT IF YOU LIVE ON THE WEST COAST YOU MAY BE THE ONLY ONES NOT HAVING SUPER HEAVY SNOWS ALL OVER THE USA THIS WINTER. ANYONE ELSE HEAR THAT FORECAST FROM CNN? SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF USA WILL BE HAVING ARMAGEDDON OF SNOW THIS WINTER. WE REALLY HAD VIRTUALLY NOTHING HERE LAST YR & NOT MUCH MORE THE YR BEFORE. WHAT ARE ALL OF YOU HEARING & HOW ARE YOUR PREPPING FOR THAT IN YOUR AREA?


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## In The Woods

We keep pretty much the same preparations year round. The only real difference is getting our 1/2 beef late fall / early winter.

It gets plenty cold here in the winter but snow hasn't really been an issue until late December. The main reason for our preps are power outages which are frequent. We actually have more outages in the summer than in winter. And not because of storms - most times it goes out it is a calm sunny day. The power lines run alongside the road for many miles with trees towering over them the whole way.


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## pixiedoodle

I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME TO STOCK UP ON PAPER GOODS, CANNED FRUITS, CLEANING PRODUCTS, ETC. HAVEN'T BEEN TO SAMS IN ABOUT 3 OR 4 YRS BUT THEY ARE JUST BOUT 3 MILES DOWN THE STREET SO LOOKS LIKE ONE DAY SOON IT WILL BE TIME TO RE-UP OUR MEMBERSHIP & GO STOCK UP ON A YRS WORTH OF PAPER PRODUCTS, CLEANING PRODUCTS , CANNED FRUIT ETC. I DIVIE UP THOSE BIG #10 CANS OF FRUIT INTO COOL WHIP CONTAIERS & FRZ. MORE CONVENIENT & WAY CHEAPER THAN BUYING A SM CAN AT A TIME FOR $2-3.00 EACH. WE ARE OUT OF JUST ABOUT ALL THE BASICS & NEED TO JUST GO & GET IT ALL THEN HOME & PUT AWAY & NOT HAVE TO GO BACK FOR ANOTHER 6-12 MTHS DEPENDING ON THE PRODUCT. THE FEWER TRIPS TO THE STORE THE LESS THE TEMPTATION TO SPEND. I LOVE NOT HAVING TO MAKE A TRIO TO THE STORE FOR WHAT STARTS OUT AS ONE OR 2 ITEMS & ENDS UP BEING $25. WORTH.


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## pixiedoodle

filling in just a few odds & ends of groceries that we need this week...bread milk etc. dh will pick up 2 lbs of hamb on sale at hyvee today only. rest of the groceries this week will be fill-ins...milk bread, fruit vegs...things we have to have,. no big meat buying deals this week excet for the 2lbs of hamb...dh wanting meatloaf patties for the frzr so that will work out ok. today i used the last of the 98% ground turkey we bot last april to make 4 big patties highly seasoned without salt & with chopped onion from the garden. dh will enjoy those tonite & tom. with a side of beans & mexican pasta. maybe even a little salad if he wants it. using up oldest stuff first. trying to get things in order for winter cooking too & oldest items first out. passing on some grocery sale items this wek to use up what we have on hand. trying to save a few xtra bucks on dif things for xtra $$ to accomplish other things like some new wiring for the basement & to work on the kitchen cab. remodel... i got ill right after xmas with our kitchen remodel in the middle of process. still sitting unfinished so hope we can save a few bucks & at least get a few of those kitchen fixits finished.


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## pixiedoodle

winter is coming up. we have replaced all of our windows ourselves, has insulation blown int the walls & now need to have it blown into the attic but need re-wiring in attic before adding new wiring. need some insulationg of sorts on inside of basement walls too. have replae patio door as well. old basement windows will be replaced one at a time as we can...they are a dif story & issue. house was built in 1957 so not much in here that was /is energy efficient...use to have wod roo we replaced it with new asphalt. so, 11 yrs into this house & there are unending projects still. also replace hot water tank & new heat & air a yr ago.. i think we can't afford to leave at thispoint! there will always be somethng needing an upgrade or better efficiency. doing the labor for 99% of it helps.


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## ladytoysdream

I was able to get the house paid off the end of July this year. So paid in full.
I am trying to be careful with that extra money in the budget now. The first month
it went toward the outside wood boiler cleaning / checkup, it's first one in 10 years.
The next month, it was half of our school taxes. The next few months , it will be part
of our end of the year property taxes. Then first of the year, it will be set aside . I am
thinking we need to have a better plan for our health costs, like co pays, etc. The good
insurance we once had, is now gone. It does help that neither one of us takes any
medicine of any kind.

I did try for some cuts in our house phone. About $ 10 off the bill so far. I made the
mistake of taking off the long distance because I planned on using the cell phones for
that. I had to put the long distance part back on. Nothing worse than trying to use a
cell phone and it needs a charge first. My android is a pita for that reason. My cheap
little tracfone with the minute plan works the best for me.

Then the direct tv bill. Sigh. Hubby told me to talk to them and see what other plans
are available. I ended up just asking for a promotion deal. They gave us $ 25 a month
off for the next 12 months 

Groceries are a never ending challenge. So far, so good. Trying not to stock up to
much ahead on some things. But some things yes. And keep looking for deals.


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## emdeengee

I am retired but my husband has 3 years to go. We have plans for enjoying that retirement but it does include some work - the ability to do contract work while still in our 60s and 70s to boost our income. It will all depend on what is available and interesting and our health of course.

At the moment we live much as we always have and continue to put money aside into retirement and emergency savings. We have no debt except for the last bit of our mortgage which will be paid off in 4 months.

When my husband retires we will no longer give money to charity. For the past 20 years we have given over $2000 a year to local charities and varying amounts to international aid. Before that our donations were smaller and depended on our income and family expenses. We will continue to volunteer. This is just the way we have lived our life. 

After retirement our income will be less and given that there is no predicting inflation or sudden expenses or even how long old age will last we will have to put ourselves first since we do not want to be dependent on anyone or any organization. Thankfully no worries about medical care as we have universal healthcare as well as private insurance which is part of our pension plan. 

A friend said she doubted that we would stop donations because we would feel guilty. She is wrong. No guilt. Just being practical. And there are always bequests that can be made in your will if there is anything left over.

The same goes for friends, relatives and kids. Once the folks are retired you are completely on your own. There will always be a roof and beds and food for everyone and the pets at the "homestead" in an emergency or when trouble hits but money is not an option. And of course if we move into an RV you will have to live in tents.


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## MoBookworm1957

pixiedoodle said:


> bookworm, thanks for all your in-put. lots of great ideas. things i hadn't even thot of. you are one indoustrious lady! keep sharing ! i get a lot of great ideas from your posts. thanks!


Thank you, but just living the way I was raised.


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## IsabellaMaria

pixiedoodle said:


> WE HAVE DECIDED THAT EATING OUT WILL MOSTLY BE ONLY WITH GIFT CARDS GIVEN TO US AS GIFTS. WE ARE AT CHILI'S YEST. WITH OUR GIFT CARD FROM CHRISTMAS THAT WE FORGOT WE HD. FOUND ONE FOR APPLEBES AS WELL IN THE SAME DRAWER..WE'RE SAVING IT FOR WHEN THE MOOD HITS US THIS SUMMER. WE DON'T BUY AS MANY GROCERIES ALTHO THE PRICES NEVER GO DOWN & WE THINK WHAT WE SPEND NOW IS MORE THAN BEFORE WE CUT BACK JUST FROM RISING COSTS. WE HAVE A FREEZER & A HALF FRZR. FULL. EVERY TIME WE HAVE LEFT OVERS WE TRY TO MAKE A SOUP, STEW OR CASSEROLE FROM THOSE LEFTOVERS & WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PANTRY OR FRZR, PART IT OUT INTO SINGLE SIZE SERVINGS & IT GOES INTO THE FREEZER FOR LATER. GOT LOTS OF SOUPS IN BOTH FREEZERS, UNORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO HAVE SODIUM FREE DIET NOW SO I CANNOT CONSUME THE SOUPS . HOWEVER MY DH CAN AS WELL AS MY DD & HER DH. SO, NONE WILL BE WASTED, WE STRETCHED THAT FOOD DOLLAR AS FAR AS WE COULD & WASTED LITTLE TO NOTHING. IT IS DEF. A MONEY SAVER IN THE END.


You can buy sodium-free stock cubes for your soup and just not add any salt. I never add salt.


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## pixiedoodle

IsabellaMaria said:


> You can buy sodium-free stock cubes for your soup and just not add any salt. I never add salt.


i have not been able to find sodium stock cubes are where i live. if you recall a brand, perhaps i could find them on line. thanks for the tip!


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## emdeengee

The most important thing that anyone can do when on a set income is to plan ahead. The dreaded budget word. There is a lot of resistance to doing this but it not only makes your life easier but more secure.

Our first experience of this - monthly budgeting as well as planning out a calendar for the full year- was when my husband went back to school to change his profession. Only my income and student loans to survive on and because we had not planned well but lived very, very well before hand it was very tight. Every penny was assigned to something. And the priorities were set and never ignored. We finished his four years with no added debt except the student loans (more than half of which were written off because his grades and performance had been at the 95% for all four years), and were able to get completely back on track with savings and debt free in two years. 

This month I have written cheques totaling $2515 to cover expenses that roll around every year at this time. (vehicle insurance, down payment for fuel oil delivery, city utilities - water, sewer, garbage; furnace maintenance, winter car maintenance including tires (not this year but we will keep saving) and massive supply stock up since we live in an isolated area. We have the cash to pay for these because every month we know the amount we have to put aside to cover these and other expenses that come at different times of the year. Noting is ever a shock.

My neighbour and friend came over for tea yesterday. She is on a fixed income (pensions) which total a fairly generous monthly amount and only about $700 less than what she used to earn but she just can't stick to a budget. She was complaining that she did not have the money to pay for the same expenses that we just paid for and will have to borrow again and since her cards are maxing out she will not pay some things since she wants to go to her kids for Christmas. She is very worried of course but unfortunately this worry will pass too quickly. We have helped her out in the past but not anymore as money never solves money problems. I set her up with a budget plan which she followed for a couple of months but did not like that it meant she could not shop like she used to. Fortunately it is easy to change the subject because her grandkids are the love of her life and sooooo cute.


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## alida

I'm hoping to retire in the next 3 years or so, but one of my criteria for retirement is that my anticipated company pension has to be enough to cover daily expenses while my savings will be for "other". I know what I'll get for a pension in three years so I've been trying to live on that amount now, to see if my plans are feasible. At this point I think it's doable, but last month I had several thousand dollars in unexpected expenses which I could pay, but were in some ways a good reminder that there will be more of those surprises in the future too. Plus some fun times travelling, I hope. 
I do not have to worry about health insurance since I'm in Canada, and for a modest amount of money I can continue with the companies drug/dental plan I have now until I turn 65 and won't have to pay much for prescriptions (in Ontario). 
Yes, best laid plans could crash tomorrow for any reason, and if that happens I'll deal with things, but for now my experiment is teaching me a lot.


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## emdeengee

I completely agree Alida. When you know your income is going to change it is a great idea to practice living on it beforehand. This is something that is also recommended when you are planning a pregnancy (or are pregnant) and will be taking the full maternity and/or paternity leave. Or when you know that you will have kids in Uni in the next few years.

We will have paid off our mortgage over the next 4 months and since we also know what our pension amounts will be we will start living on this amount as practice while continuing to save as normal and add in what would have gone to the mortgage. We also have plans for travel in retirement but will see how things go.

I am also Canadian and we will continue with our auxiliary medical and dental plan after retirement as well.

Because I have a terminal illness we decided to take our CPP at age 60. Who knows if I will be around to start collecting at age 65? My sister figured out that the lesser amount you get from age 60 to 75 is the same total as the higher amount you get from 65 to 75. After that you get less in total but we have offset this loss and again who knows if we will be around after 75. We both get the lesser amount now but use this to purchase RRSPs to offset income tax. By the time we reach age 65 we will have collected well over $50,000 in CPP pensions which will go into savings (less if a survivor pension kicks in) and offset over $50,000 in taxes.


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## hiddensprings

We've done a few things that just made sense:
1. No TV, No Cable, NO Satellite. We really never watched TV much and honestly, there's nothing on worth watching anyways
2. Took a hard look at cell phones and went to a MUCH cheaper plan. And of course, no home phone
3. I pre-buy propane so I get a very nice discount and we added a wood-burning stove this year so I'll use even less propane. 
4. We fish and hunt for meat and I go a very large garden and can like a crazy woman We rarely eat out and we both like it that way.
5. Shopped around for insurance....it is amazing how the exact same coverage on auto/home/farm can be priced so different. saved a good deal there.
6. We barter....its a nice way to get what you need and provide others what they need. 
7. Have a VERY handy husband! I'm lucky...my husband can do it all. Electric, plumbing, framing, construction.....He is my "handyman".


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## pixiedoodle

WE FOUND OUT A FEW MTHS AGO THAT DH'S UNION RETIREMENT FUNDS ARE GOING BROKE. SO, THEY HAVE CUT OUR UNION RETIREMENT FUNDS WE RECEVE MONTHY BY 35% EACH. WONDERING HOW SOON THE FUND WILL BE DE-FUNKED. THE FEDS ARE TO STEP IN AT SOME POINT & COVER WHAT THE UNION FUND CAN NO LONGER DO. WE ARE PRETTY SURE BY THE TIME THAT HAPPENS THE MONTHY RTE WILL BE ABOUT AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS OSSIBLE. THOSE ARE 2 FUNDS, THO NOT HUGE THAT WE COUNTED ON TO BE THERE WHEN WE RETIRED. SO MUCH FOR PRINTES UNION FUNDS WE PUT $$ INTO FOR 40 YRS. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO WITH THE FLOW & TRY TO MAKE IT UP IN OTHER AREAS. GOING TO BE HARD BUT YOU JUST GOT TO DO WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO. GOOD THING DH HAS PT JOB!


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## tiffanysgallery

I use a Visa reward card for all my purchases. This year I earned $50 bucks, I like free money! But, if ever I cannot pay the monthly balance in full, I'll stop and use a debit card instead. I like to travel, I own a timeshare, this yr I went to St. Augustine for a wk, points only, had to pay for gas to get there & food, that's about it. I can print coupons from the timeshare's website for shopping, eating-out, but I'm not a big spender. I'm a member of the Subway Text Club, I take advantage of that and other coupons that I sign-up for w/companies I like. I'll get free food at times that way. There's a vendor at the flealand where I also set-up to sell. She occasionally sells a trash bag full of old clothes for $4, and I'll buy a bag, keep whatever I can wear, cut the larger pieces into rags, keep the buttons to sell on eBay, and then bag-up what I don't need and put it on my table for, well, $4. I've been doing this for over ten years which has saved me from buying paper towels since I have plenty of rags. I only buy salt for making sauerkraut. I use a whole lot less now that I have a fermentation kit. I have a term life insurance policy that will expire in 6-7 yrs. I'm thinking I should invest in a whole life policy for the next 20 years, so I can take a tax-free loan from it when I need it in retirement. I'm not middle-class by any means, but I've learned how to juggle and trade, tighten and cut, so to live the best I can.


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## In The Woods

I review my budget every month and look for anything that can be improved upon.

Since we are both home all the time now TV is a source to help pass the time in the evenings. I spend $32 a month on streaming TV services. I pay extra for the commercial free versions as I can’t withstand TV commercials.

I read a lot on my Kindle Paperwhite -probably 3-4 hours a day. I get tons of free books by subscribing to a daily email from https://www.ereaderiq.com/. I am so thankful for this as I would go nuts without reading. I would say that 50% of the books are very good.

One thing I have a hard time with is groceries. We only have 2 choices - a Save-a-Lot which is similar to Aldi I guess and WalMart. The problem is that neither my wife or I have much of an appetite anymore. Plus we both recently went through some serious dental procedures and can basically only eat soft foods. Yogurt, applesauce, and cereal get expensive.

But all in all I feel we do OK. The 2 of us are living on just my Social Security and we still are paying a mortgage. It is tight every month no doubt.


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## acabin42

As things got tighter I ended up selling my mobile home and paying off my bills and relocating. ...moving in with my daughter and her family. Feel like I've failed


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## Terri

Old age happens to us all, and that is NOT a failure. We will all be living with other people, assuming we live that long.


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## GTX63

For us it wasn't how much we make but how much we spend, so we starting cutting the fat.
Getting out of satellite and cable is akin to getting out from a timeshare; the reps just won't let you go.
Raised the deductibles on our insurance and lowered the premiums.
I repair everything I can, if I can't I look to locals from our church.
Eating out, including take out can be monstrous. If you consider $50 for a saturday night meal, and $30 once a week for pizza, that is over $4100 a year. I will say that a meal out without cooking and cleaning is a treat for my wife. My attempts at preparing meals and handling kitchen duty seems to create as much work for her as if she had done it herself.


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## In The Woods

GTX63 said:


> For us it wasn't how much we make but how much we spend, so we starting cutting the fat.
> Getting out of satellite and cable is akin to getting out from a timeshare; the reps just won't let you go.
> Raised the deductibles on our insurance and lowered the premiums.
> I repair everything I can, if I can't I look to locals from our church.
> Eating out, including take out can be monstrous. If you consider $50 for a saturday night meal, and $30 once a week for pizza, that is over $4100 a year. I will say that a meal out without cooking and cleaning is a treat for my wife. My attempts at preparing meals and handling kitchen duty seems to create as much work for her as if she had done it herself.


You are right about eating out. A quick story.....

A coworker was complaining about always being broke. Being a younger guy I embarked to help him out. I asked him to tell me about his typical day from when he left his house to when he returned. After telling me I added the costs up.

Leave the house and stop at Dunkin Donuts for a coffee and sandwhich - $7
Get to work and stop for another coffee - $4
Out for lunch - $10
On the way home he would call his wife (who was home all day - didn’t work) and got her order for supper then stop to get their meals - $20

That was $41 a day - $287 per week (he was out and about on the weekends doing various work) - $1148 per month.


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## anniew

When it was time for me to retire, I figured how much I'd get in social security, then divided my savings/IRAs by the number of years I expected to live based on my parents' ages at death (both at 93). That amount divided by 12 along with the social security is what I use each month...or less. I also didn't figure in interest on the savings/IRA's, so that is my backup if I live past 93.
I go to lunch once a week with a group that's been doing this for years, and the cost is about $10. Plus every other week I eat lunch at the college where I take courses (when they have the best wings I've ever tasted), about another $10 EVERY OTHER WEEK. I also spend a lot on good, nutritious food, and prepare all the rest of my meals at home also using the produce/eggs that I raise myself. I am not a clothes horse, have only one vehicle, no tv or internet (my neighbor lets me use their password), and use the library a lot for recreational reading. My rural area has low taxes, little services, so is quite economical. I am on Medicare, plus pay about $200 a month for a supplemental plan and NEVER have to pay a co-pay, although my drug insurance has a small co-pay, but I am healthy and only take one medication that is $10 for three months.

Staying healthy is one of the benefits of spending money on good food, and exercising also helps. I don't do formal exercising, rather stretch exercises in the morning before I get up, plus what I do in gardening and caring for my critters. I also exercise my brain (as explained in the Geriatric Homesteading thread) so I can make good, logical decisions about finances as well as other aspects of daily life.

Some people don't think that bad food and lack of exercise will ever catch up with them. It does, as can genetic problems over which they have no control...but at least give your body and mind a fighting chance...you'll likely be rewarded with extra years of productive living, plus it will keep you busy and not wallowing in depression from isolation from your fellow humans.


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## In The Woods

Well we do need to treat ourselves once in a while.

When we do our grocery run every other week it keeps us in town over lunch time. We always have a cooler with water and snacks with us. I could pack a sandwich also but will stop at Wendy’s and treat myself to a bowl of chili. I bring my own water in with me as I don’t want anything to so with city water.


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## emdeengee

My husband and I are trying to design our retirement in the same way my parents did theirs which was very successful for them. My father was a mathematician (amongst many other things) so when he and Mom were planning their retirement he calculated all sorts of scenarios. They had a good pension and never had any debt. Everything they owned was paid for when they bought it and they were not extravagant but did really enjoy their retirement - travelling. 

They had a fantastic garden and mini orchard and my Mom always cooked from scratch so they did not have to learn new ways to economize with food - which of course is always one of the big expenses. The car they bought for their retirement lasted 20 years with hardly any repairs other than basic maintenance required. Their house was very comfortable and always well maintained. It was also well built and insulated to protect against the very hot summers and cold winters.

Dad was greatly in demand for contract work for all but the last couple of years of his life when he was too ill which meant that they continued to accumulate savings. I think this is something that retirees have to try to continue to do. Pensions definitely do not grow but expenses do and investments can be successful or suddenly fail as happened to so many in 2008. 

We can all cut out things that cost us and economize on things that we must have but eventually you can cut no more and yet prices will keep going up. 

Part of our retirement plan is to continue to earn extra to put into savings while we are fit to do so to offset the increase in all expenses that we know will continue. 

I have 12 years of budgets/expenses on my computer and many other years on paper so I know exactly what everything has cost us. I can instantly find out what the increase per year for basic expenses has been. We do live in a very remote area so some hings are very expensive compared to more populated areas but other things are much less expensive. Five years ago we were spending $500 a month on average for groceries and household supplies. Today we spend $700. Not much has changed in what we buy (and in fact we eat less with age) but the prices have definitely gone up and continue to do so. If things continue as they have (and don't get worse) we will require up to $900 over the next five years which is reason enough to keep earning and saving where possible.


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## In The Woods

Emdeengee’s post brought back different memories. I had nobody to teach me anything financial. I remember being in my mid 20’s when I bounced a couple checks. A nice lady at the bank sat me down and taught me how to balance my check book every month - I had no clue.

The same with anything regarding saving or retirement. I only learned about what retirement and saving actually meant when I was in my 40’s - too late to make a real difference.

And now having to medically retire early also hurt. Plus add to that that I can’t work now. So I am living proof of what it is like to try to survive without a retirement plan


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## CountryMom22

We are in our mid-50's and both self employed. All though we have no debt and have been saving throughout our marriage, we have not saved as much as we should have due to having a child with special needs that our insurance didn't cover. As well as me being a two time cancer survivor. So we are definitely behind in saving for retirement, and with us both being self employed there is no pension waiting for us. In our case, it wasn't not knowing how to save but unexpected costs that have been our downfall.

Not sure what else we can do to fix this situation at this point in our lives, so we just continue to live as frugally as possible and save as much as possible. We both know that there will not be any true retirement for us, as we will continue to work in some capacity until we can't.


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## newfieannie

I had an unexpected expense this month with the car. 2000 dollars. better than getting a new one though which I would have to for going back and forth the country or even around the city. many here just use the bus but that wouldn't work for me. car is in good shape now so hopefully will last a few years.

I do as much of my shopping as I can at no frills. it's sometimes even less than WM. I eat mostly fish and chicken for my meals. can't get it at no frills. more fish than anything and only haddock (I dont buy farmed fish)and it's very expensive. I wait until it goes on sale at the super store. last week I bought 10 lbs. divided and froze it. I make fish cakes from salt fish. was buying the lb pk. for 10 dollars but they have bits for half that so I use that now. it's getting mashed anyway and tastes the same. make most everything from scratch anyway. always have.

disconnected from satellite a couple years ago. never miss it. still got 3 TV's in the house that I should get rid of. just taking up room. I have internet. that combined with my phone is 150 a month.that's all I need.i can watch the old movies that I prefer anyway on you tube. I try to be frugal with my water. that bill comes every 3 months. I wondered why it was so high but I found the toilet wasn't shutting off so I got that fixed.

I don't buy magazines anymore. no new books. I wait until the churches have their sales .5o cents each even hard covers or I buy them for a dollar at SA. could never give up my books. life wouldn't be worth living. I do like mr. big bars and cherry blossoms. I would buy 4 a week at least. gave that up a couple months ago. doesn't seem like much but it all adds up in the long run

my natural gas bill is the big expense for me winter time. I'd like to wait until December like MBw mentioned but it has suddenly turned too cold to wait. i can't afford to get pneumonia. this little room downstairs is the place I spend most of the time in winter so I have turned that on. I plan to only have that thermostat on downstairs this winter and leave the doors open to the rest of downstairs.

i usually got the kitchen stove going for one thing and another.not a day goes by that i don't so that will take care of upstairs. i plan on switching on the bathroom one only when i need it . my bedroom not at all because i like it cool around the room and i have my electric blanket anyway and plenty quilts i turn off all lights not needed at the time. i don't pull out plugs like the toaster, kettle all that stuff. i thought off was off. i'll check that out. 

i buy my jeans at VV but lately new ones at WM are less expensive although not as soft. i can't stand hard jeans. i was looking over my clothes last night. i got enough for 10 women. i made up my mind not to buy anymore for some time. i was thinking about buying an outfit for a Christmas party I've been invited to but in looking over my stash i found lovely stuff with the tags still attatched. i wear a lot of black with a few accents to set it off and it's always in style. nice boots in the back of the wardrobe i only wore to church once. scarves i don't remember buying. probably got them at some kiosh on my rounds. poked them away and forgot about them. 

this is a really good thread to get people thinking about how we can save. no matter even if we're millionaires we can still be good stewards over our money. ~Georgia


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## Clem

I stock up when I can. The past few years, the local grocery chain store really don't have sales any more, but I once notoriously caught a BOGO on store brand cheese, along with a 25 cent store coupon for every store brand item. Between the two, I was paying less than $1.50 a pound. Store coupons were limited to 20 items per trip, so I went in 5 different times. Took that home, and reconsidered and went back. Ended up with over a hundred pounds of cheese, for less than $150(per hundred pounds). All varieties under the store brand were available at the BOGO offer.

Maybe that's why they don't have sales any more.

I have a lifetime supply of lightbulbs, too. A spare vehicle. When I'm dead, they can just compost me, and somebody just keep on keeping on. Sadly, nobody seems to want to know how to live within your means.

When I dropped below my last $100k in savings, I could see hard times coming. Sickness and death of family members, 3 times in total ate up tons of cash, and was still ongoing when I saw the writing on the wall. Still, I've not only managed to survive, but actually an building my savings back up. I owe nothing. I have some put away. All with a social security check of $600ish per month.


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## newfieannie

that's really good clem that you could do that., if i had to live on my CPP and OAS i just could not do it in this city. though as you say i have no debts,no mortgage etc. i could do it no problem out at the country place. which is what i was striving for but slowly changing my mind. even with the high cost of living there are so many advantages. one being 5 min from several major hospitals. not that i have anything wrong at this point but it could happen quickly. it's something I'm weighing carefully. although the ambulances are stationed just a few min from my country place. we'll see.

talk about money sifting through your fingers. my husband give his daughter 500 000 and in no time it was gone. she was an alcoholic (he didn't know it)i did because she would hide it in her bottles of pepsi and what not but you try to keep the peace. she also met a guy from PA. took him on cruises. bought clothes and god knows what for him .she was getting a big pension besides that because her husband had been an admiral or some such. when she passed there was nothing left and the guy didn't even come to see her . ~Georgia


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## Oxankle

Went to a meeting before I retired. Fellow there told us that it would take us about five years to realize that we did not need to spend in retirement what we had spent working. Of course we had known some of that---No need for suits, ties, fancy shoes. No need for lunches downtown, no commute. What we did not know was that we would get to the point that we had everything we wanted and just saw no reason to spend. How many shirts does a man need? How many pairs of shoes can a man wear? (I have a good pair of shoes older than some of my children, but they don't make those any more.) When did they pas a law that said one must drive a new or almost new automobile? I complimented a friend on his beautiful candy-apple red truck a couple of days ago and learned that he was driving a 2002 F-150. 

Of course being married to the world's thriftiest woman who just happens to be a world-class cook helps a lot in my case.


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## emdeengee

In The Woods said:


> Emdeengee’s post brought back different memories. I had nobody to teach me anything financial. I remember being in my mid 20’s when I bounced a couple checks. A nice lady at the bank sat me down and taught me how to balance my check book every month - I had no clue.
> 
> 
> 
> In the Woods - The very sad thing about me is that I had all the help and good examples that a young person could hope to have with regards to learning about personal finances. The same for my husband. And yet we were complete idiots for about 20 years - living pay to pay, living beyond our means and using credit not only to buy things and do things but as our emergency fund. Savings? Not a penny for the future or to accomplish things we wanted - you know, the concept of planning ahead and saving until you had enough.
> 
> At about age 40 we finally got smarter but it took years to dig ourselves out of the mess and as a result we were very late starters for retirement planning and all other savings.
> 
> I wish that all schools would teach personal finances but - as in our case - if you do not use what you have learned you will end up in a mess anyways. We are a fine example of what not to do. I sincerely wish that credit was not so easy to get. It is very tempting especially when you are young and trying to build a life.


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## geo in mi

Just got a new antenna from Amazon yesterday. Spent some time this AM putting it together before my weekly trip to town. Ate the big Swiss Steak on special at the diner I go to, now I'll scrimp for supper. The antenna will give me the local CBS and PBS station free, maybe some Grand Rapids stations. I'm going to buy the Sling package for CNN and some sports channels, oh, and Discovery. That in time should save me about $80 per month on my phone, internet, and TV bill running $180 a month. I will use Tracfone and cut off the land line--if I can remember to put it in the docking station by my bed each night....

Last week I finished up my due diligence --in advance--for downsizing my home. One came up for sale, sort of(long story) and I could have cashed in my 401K, which is my house on a lake...It was sort of taken off the market until a later time, so maybe I'll start all over again, maybe not.

Got a new furnace last year, but the winter was so warm I couldn't really tell if my costs went down or not. 

geo


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## MoBookworm1957

Don't eat out very often.
Usually cook something I can get several meals out of :
Roast= roast, stew,pot pie, by time it gets to pot pie.
Pot pies get made up for future freezer meals.
Has to be very special reason to eat out.
Do I get tired of not being able to eat out.
Yes, but money saved for single meal goes into savings.
Meals usually cost $6 to $10 per meal if not more.
Make my own bread,noodles,pastas,broths.
Can up broths, dry pastas, freeze homemade baked bread for future use.
My largest expense is my new to me car.
Don't have brand name cell phone plan.
Have prepaid set amount.
Electricity is on even pay. Makes easier to budget.
Have no cable, just internet. Looking for other options for internet.
Rent is income based.
This month is my stock up month.
So instead of $25 for produce will spend about $100.
But that includes toilet paper, cleaning supplies, dog food etc.


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## newfieannie

I do more or less the same as MBw. make most everything from scratch and freeze. not as much as she does though. my son is very good at that also. he gave me some soup today when I was out at the camp that he had bottled . it was really good.

I rarely eat out except for a couple of church teas once in awhile. I like my own food. this is stock up month for me also. Wednesday I think. I have guys coming to fix the door tomorrow(that's another expense but has to be done for the winter) I have to get tp also. the one thing I use too much of. I don't get 2 days out of a roll. ~Georgia


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## MoBookworm1957

My stock up includes can goods.
My garden didn't produce as much as I would have liked.
Worked outside in garden area for awhile today.
Need to find some old cut straw.
This is first year, I haven't planted cover crop.
Don't know if good or bad as yet.
Making up Strawberry's Christmas Gifts this year.
Denim chew toys.
Already rereading my garden log book.
Placing stars by plants I will grow next year.
Reworking raised beds design on paper before I start moving dirt.
Selling some appliances online I don't use anymore.
Counter top dishwasher rolling cart it sits on,that will give me more room in dinky pantry.


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## Jlynnp

NewfieAnn, do you have a Kindle or other e-reader?? I get tons of free books that I downloaded to my e-reader. I have 100's of them.


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## newfieannie

no I don't Jlynnp. I have thought about it. but it wouldn't work for me. I have to have the book. ~Georgia


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## gilberte

You really should rethink that and give the e-reader a chance. I was like you, didn't think a device could take the place of a real book. Now I wouldn't go back. Love my Kindle!


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## geo in mi

As the snow starts to fly, I'll be getting back on track with my visits to the library.

geo


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## anniew

I've also been making trips to the library when I am in town. I already have hundreds of books, with maybe 75 percent of them reference types...gardening, first aid/medical, cooking, outdoor stuff. I don't buy books any longer unless it is a topic that I want to have as reference to use more than once. Even then, I sometimes asks the library to get a book through interlibrary loan, so that I can evaluate to see if it is worth buying.
I just bought two books on cooking. They have the science behind cooking...the books were recommended by the instructor of the Kitchen Chemistry class that I am auditing. Knowing why things happen, can make for more tasty food or give a better finish to them. They are also "brain" food...keeping the remaining two brain cells working!!!


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## newfieannie

it's difficult for me to explain Gilbert why it could never work. probably the length of time I've been at it. dad use to say I could read when I was 3. we had a little room under the stairs and that's where they would find me with one of dads books from his library. I grew up with hundreds of books. when dad was home he had 3 or 4 going the same time same as I do. books are ingrained in me.

I love to feel the pages and sometimes I buy a book for it's beautiful jacket not even knowing what it's about. love to rummage around in old book stores. there are books in my car for waiting at the dealers while most everyone else is in front of tv. waiting in traffic at construction sites (which has been going on here for a year.) etc.etc

at night I curl up in my chair with a book and lose myself in whatever is going on in that book. I find them physically pleasurable. my bro. is the same way . he doesn't have one either . he visited last year and between his books and mine there wasn't much room when we would sit and read at night. and not only that we both read out loud. but we both get lost in a book like our father and it didn't bother either of us. we just didn't hear each other. we had a bell on the table between our chairs when we wanted to discuss something in our books.

I do go to one of the libraries (which is only 5 min. and 10 min from my home ) and sit and read a bit. I'm into old English history and I do get that on the computer once in awhile. but nah a device wouldn't do it for me. but hey I never said I wasn't weird. 

I do know I'm not alone though . I have a couple professor friends over at the university who are the same way. i had one of them visiting when my bro was here and he was down in the den with his books. (he couldn't take our reading out loud) not everyone has a kindle ~Georgia


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## Terri

I find the paper smell of a library to be exciting, and I preferred physical books until I got older and my hands started complaining. Then, and ONLY then, the switch to an e-reader became easy, because my hands got tired and they were a distraction when I was reading.

I still have books, but when I am tired and wish to zone out, I now turn to the kindle, as it is lighter. I get kindle unlimited, which means that for $10 a month there is a long string of books that I can read for no additional charge. At the moment I am reading other nation's accounts of the old "Bluebeard" story, and I got it on Kindle unlimited.


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## In The Woods

Jlynnp said:


> NewfieAnn, do you have a Kindle or other e-reader?? I get tons of free books that I downloaded to my e-reader. I have 100's of them.





gilberte said:


> You really should rethink that and give the e-reader a chance. I was like you, didn't think a device could take the place of a real book. Now I wouldn't go back. Love my Kindle!


I am the same. Been an avid reader all my life. As other have said the feel and smell of a book is part of the experience.

It came down to economics for me. The nearest library is a 70 mile round trip - only go to that town twice a month for grocery runs. Buying books is out as the shipping kills it.

So I jumped off the cliff and bought a Kindle Paperwhite when I first had to stop working and was stuck home. It took me no time at all to get used to it. I am on a free email list that lists 6-8 free and $.99 books daily. I would say that 50% of the free ones I pick are very good. I have found some great new authors this way and it has allowed me to expand from my normal reading genre.

Being able to change the font size and backlight are very important as my eyes are getting weaker. I struggled with the text size in paperbacks and can also now read in a dark room without any extra light.

The convienence factor is unsurpassed. Once I click on a book to buy (free) it is ready to read within seconds. I add a little to my Amazon gift card account occassionally so I have a couple bucks in there to pay $.99 for a book now and then.

And it’s so portable. Any time I go to our many doctor appointments I have it along to read in the waiting rooms - makes time pass much quicker.

Now for reference type books I still buy used hard cover - I have an obbsession with reference books.


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## CountryMom22

I'm also an avid reader. Some weeks I actually read and finish 10 books. I just prefer a paper copy. When my son's school switched from text books to ipads, it drove me crazy. He would have to read chapters on the ipad and then do his homework, but if you need to flip back and forth from page to page it was easy to lose your place. Much preferred the days when you could stick a book mark between pages to hold your spot while you were flipping around looking for the answers in the text. Thankfully the switch to the ipad occurred during his junior year so we didn't have to suffer for too long.

Also, what if the power was out? I can also read by flashlight or lantern light, but if my Kindle battery ran down I would lose my mind! (What little is left).


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## HermitJohn

I looked at kindles, wasnt that impressed what you got for the money. Instead I got a little light weight laptop with 11 inch screen and win10. Battery lasts very well on it. Cost me $30 used and its main function is run Kindle app. Had to clean up and straightjacket win10, but after that worked fine. Thats cheaper than cheapest Kindle.

Then read free books that some place emails me links every day. Maybe quarter to third of ones I download that I find worth reading completely. Hey they are free, start reading and get bored, move to something else. There are few gems, but most are bubblegum for the brain. 

Paperbacks tend to be crazy priced anymore. For one time read, not worth it, plus if I dont like it, am out the money. Kindle app even has tool to do text to speech. Though this is blocked on some of the free books. I probably could do a work around but not really worth it. Really works pretty well (works best if you set font smallest possible for text to speech) and I dont get blurry eyed, though more apt to fall asleep.

I should mention that I like paper books fine, but you either pay money to mail order them or you pay gas money to library, first to get them, then to return them. And due dates are yet something else to remember.


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## newfieannie

I wouldn't buy new books .scandalous prices! I can walk to our library. they have comfy seats and tables etc. where people all sit around and read as long as they want. SA has books for 1.00 but I usually wait until the Anglican church has their sale. seems to be every month. get them for 50 cents. even the hardcovers.brand new looking .

like for instance last month I got this hard cover. haven't read it yet. three complete novels. Sydney Sheldon. Bloodline, A Stranger in the mirror and The naked face. anybody read it? I might not like either one of those stories but for .50 i thought I'd get it. I like the jacket and my bro might enjoy it.I guess people buy them and don't want them anymore. I often wonder who pays those prices for them. I read mountains of books so I want to get them as inexpensive as I can. ~Georgia


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## gilberte

CountryMom22 said:


> but if you need to flip back and forth from page to page it was easy to lose your place. Much preferred the days when you could stick a book mark between pages to hold your spot while you were flipping around looking for the answers in the text. .


There is a bookmark feature in the Kindle, and you don't even have to look for a book mark or dog ear the page


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## In The Woods

CountryMom22 said:


> I'm also an avid reader. Some weeks I actually read and finish 10 books. I just prefer a paper copy. When my son's school switched from text books to ipads, it drove me crazy. He would have to read chapters on the ipad and then do his homework, but if you need to flip back and forth from page to page it was easy to lose your place. Much preferred the days when you could stick a book mark between pages to hold your spot while you were flipping around looking for the answers in the text. Thankfully the switch to the ipad occurred during his junior year so we didn't have to suffer for too long.
> 
> Also, what if the power was out? I can also read by flashlight or lantern light, but if my Kindle battery ran down I would lose my mind! (What little is left).


We have frequent power outages. I keep an eye on my battery level - when it gets to the 1/2 way point I charge it. Even with 1/2 battery it would last me a week easily.


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## ladytoysdream

I like to read books for information and reference . Animals, homesteading, and cookbooks are my favorites.
I want the real book in my hands. I read online when I can for information and the news. I usually head
to ebay or amazon if I want to buy a book that I have decided I need to add to my reading pile,
after I have done my research if I need the book and to find a low price on the shipping and price of book.


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## pixiedoodle

tryig to stay out of the store but not doing a very god job of it.. pantry & cabinets & both freezers are full as is the fridge & fridge frzr. always out of something but think from looking over how stuffed it all is, i'm going to try to stay out of the stores this month unless it is a basic grocery need like bread milk or fresh fruit & salad makings. loaded more than we have been in a yr. trying to do my own pantry challenge...feel free to join me!


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## ladytoysdream

The pantry and freezers are in good shape here going in Winter. I am still planning on adding a few more turkeys if I can find them on sale. Now, if I can stay out of the dollar store. Usually a few snacks here and there get added into that cart.
I could stay out of the stores for several weeks if need be. It's the hubby's fresh milk and soft white bread that mean 1x
a week store trip. In Winter, I can hibernate quite well


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## whiterock

New Kroger opened last week in town. Parking lot full out to gas pumps. It's on my road into town. People keep asking me if I've been in to shop. NOPE. Maybe when the new wears off, I'll go in one morning when the other folks are at work and look around. I'll need several hours, I'm thinking, to look around. It is a big store, and I don't get around too well after about 30 minutes of pushing a cart. Take lots of rest breaks as it is, this place is almost as big as WalMart looking at it from the road.


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## ladytoysdream

whiterock / *I'll need several hours, I'm thinking, to look around. It is a big store, and I don't get around too well after about 30 minutes of pushing a cart. Take lots of rest breaks as it is*

Can you use one of those motorized chairs to get around the store ?
Most of our big stores have them here for shoppers convenience.
No sense being exhausted and trying to shop at the same time.


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## whiterock

I can, but I don't like to. I prefer walking the store as i need to walk more. Just that pushing the cart, if it has a load, makes my hip hurt and I start to limp. If I stop and look at things as I go along, it is ok. I tend to try to walk and push the cart fast like I did before I broke both legs.


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## newfieannie

don't you have a walker Ed with a basket on the front? I had one of those for my husband who had a hip problem. I still have it in case I might need it myself one day. I see many people in wm with those instead of the cart. ~Georgia


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## whiterock

don't need walker, just have to go slow, partly my hip and partly circulation I believe.


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## susieneddy

What we did was to move to Mexico this year. Everything is cheaper here except gas for the car. We don't drive that much so filling the tank last us a while.


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## lmrose

ladytoysdream said:


> Well here we are several years into his retirement, and the budget has gone tight.
> In the summer, it won't be so bad, because he has a part time job, and I do a few
> things on the side to bring in a bit of extra money.
> It just seems that I seriously question things we want to buy more than I used to.
> Trying to get the biggest bang for the buck possible. Doing cost comparisons a lot.
> 
> One thing we gave up this winter is soda. Neither one of us drank a lot of it. Made
> the switch over to kool aid. If I do get a bottle of juice, I only fill the glass half full
> and then add water for the balance.
> 
> I just recently sold off about 1/3 of my chickens. I can't justify having extra eggs and
> not enough egg customers to keep up with them. So this will help with the grain costs.
> 
> We are less than 6 months from having no house payment. I been throwing extra
> at the balance since the first of the year. It's going to help a lot to have that bill gone.
> 
> So, what have you had to do ?


Now we bought the mobile home and acre its on I have gotten more frugal than I already was! We will need money to renovate to be able to move in. For years I spent a $100 a month at the grocery store for things like flour, oil, butter, oats,peanut butter, raisins, chocolate chips, flax seed, chia seeds, spices, yeast, some herbs, ice cream or frozen yogurt, or anything else extra. Also bought toilet tissue, tissues and paper towels and dish liquid. So now I have eliminated many things.

I still have to buy flour, oil, oats, cinnamon , chia seeds; honey, canned milk and yeast. I cut out flax seed and buy flax meal because it is a whole lot cheaper. The only way I will buy canned milk, butter, peanut butter,spices, herbs, ice cream or frozen yogurt, canned milk or anything else extra such as chocolate is if there is a half price sale. That isn't very often. Toilet paper and tissues and paper towels if I want some, I wait for a very good sale and stock up. 
I have managed to keep in store spending now to $50 a month. I still have a lot of herbs we grew and I dried. I have stocked up on canned milk since we sold the milking goat when we moved. I waited for a sale for 67 cents a can and bought a dozen to cook with. Also have about 30 liters of goats milk frozen to thaw and make yogurt with. Instead of buying frozen yogurt I make blender ice-cream with blue berries that I froze.
I cook with all the food we grew and change it up so something new is created every few days. It is a lot of work but saves money.
The only clothes we buy new now is under wear and foot wear. All else can be found at used clothing stores and Salvation Army.
I sold excess furniture when we moved and presently going through things again to eliminate a lot of little things that bring in a few dollars and clear space. We don't have television so no bill there. I found the cheapest internet provider here, which there are only three to choose from! I pay $55.14 a month which includes the 15 % goods and service tax we have here.

Since moving we no longer have a land line so that eliminates $45 + tax a month. We each have a cell phone. Mine is is $35 a month with free long distance across Canada. Bill has only had his since we sold the house and is $40 a month with free long distance too. That was the least expensive communication I could find here.

We re-homed the work horse so no longer have the expense of buying hay or work of making it. We sold all the horse machinery so will have no maintenance cost there. We also sold all the goats but one so our feed bill is gone. The one remaining goat we can cut hay for on our land with a scythe and grow mangles for her to eat in the winter.

When Bill started driving again three years ago after being without a vehicle 17 yrs, we looked for the smallest least expensive car we could find. It turned out to be a 2001 Toyota Echo for $500. It ran good and needed some body work which Bill did himself. We needed a cheap car so the insurance wouldn't be so high. Still insurance, license and plates were over $600 which is more than the car cost us. The good thing is the insurance has dropped every year since he has never had a claim his entire driving life. 

Next year when we move and give up the apartment we will save that $600 a month,
Our dog died before we moved. She was 14 1/2 yrs and will be our last dog. We just have one cat now. Dogs are a big expense here for food and vets if you need them.
So these are some ways we have cut back spending. All extra money saved will now go towards fixing up our mobile home.
.


----------



## 360Media

acabin42 said:


> As things got tighter I ended up selling my mobile home and paying off my bills and relocating. ...moving in with my daughter and her family. Feel like I've failed


YOU HAVE NOT FAILED (but we all have the consequences of decisions we’ve made). 
It is beyond crazy to expect that older people can as a whole, compete in the market place. Today’s work skills are generationally bias. I’m 53 years old and very skilled at many things but specialized technology has crept into every sector, barring entry without training. 
I hope you still have healthcare. I do not.
I’ve been living with untreated HBP, hypoglycemia, failing eyesight, and TONS of failing dental work. When the AHCA passed, I refused to pay tripled premiums and continued to pay cash for med services. Then after Obama’s took away my healthcare, the took away my company by killing the O & G industry. A year later after a divorce, with no work in sight, I took ill. Wasn’t able to qualify for medical assistance. Although I needed the assistance and was qualified in every other way, one thing caused me to be denied help. The value of my 6 year old pick up exceeded $10,000. I was told I would have to sell my wise investment (paid cash for the used truck a few years b4). 
Now if I sold the truck, I would have to buy something under $5000 (and less dependable), in order to qualify.

I now live on less than a thousand/month, been without running water going on two years, and have no heat for my home. I had 95 cents to my name over thanks giving and my diet is under 1300 calories/day. No medicine and only one utility (elec). 

I don’t think we’ve failed generally, but us boomers really need to consider what retirement years will be like among the tech savvy generations juxtaposed against the paradigm we’ve embedded from a very different period of time.

You have not failed if you are still moving. Just try to make a point of always moving forward with something, anything. Just keep pressing forward. Your pressing forward despite your circumstances will ensure you don’t fail in the most important job you ever started, that of a parent. Your daughter will still be learning from you, until you die.

Hang in there friend!


----------



## acabin42

360Media said:


> YOU HAVE NOT FAILED (but we all have the consequences of decisions we’ve made).
> It is beyond crazy to expect that
> older people can as a whole, compete in the market place. Today’s work skills are generationally bias. I’m 53 years old and very skilled at many things but specialized technology has crept into every sector, barring entry without training.
> I hope you still have healthcare. I do not.
> I’ve been living with untreated HBP, hypoglycemia, failing eyesight, and TONS of failing dental work. When the AHCA passed, I refused to pay tripled premiums and continued to pay cash for med services. Then after Obama’s took away my healthcare, the took away my company by killing the O & G industry. A year later after a divorce, with no work in sight, I took ill. Wasn’t able to qualify for medical assistance. Although I needed the assistance and was qualified in every other way, one thing caused me to be denied help. The value of my 6 year old pick up exceeded $10,000. I was told I would have to sell my wise investment (paid cash for the used truck a few years b4).
> Now if I sold the truck, I would have to buy something under $5000 (and less dependable), in order to qualify.
> 
> I now live on less than a thousand/month, been without running water going on two years, and have no heat for my home. I had 95 cents to my name over thanks giving and my diet is under 1300 calories/day. No medicine and only one utility (elec).
> 
> I don’t think we’ve failed generally, but us boomers really need to consider what retirement years will be like among the tech savvy generations juxtaposed against the paradigm we’ve embedded from a very different period of time.
> 
> You have not failed if you are still moving. Just try to make a point of always moving forward with something, anything. Just keep pressing forward. Your pressing forward despite your circumstances will ensure you don’t fail in the most important job you ever started, that of a parent. Your daughter will still be learning from you, until you die.
> 
> Hang in there friend!


Thank you . I am feeling lucky now to have a family who wants me and loves me enough to help me. 
I also feel thankful for what I do have. Thanks again.


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## Terri

I sometimes do surveys on-line. Well, now that it is the holiday seasons the businesses are putting out a lot more surveys than they used to, so I am earning about $3.50 a day.

It is starting to add up: I have 2 Wal-mart coupons for $25 each. I also have the option of having the money moved to a paypal account.

My favorite survey sites are surveyjunkie, mypoints, and swagbucks.


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## newfieannie

I saved 20 or so dollars today when I didn't go to the chowder lunch and sale then I went to the bulk store and blew it all in on fruit and whatnot for xmas cakes. it was a better use of it though as far as I'm concerned. I don't even like their chowder and their pies are tough! ~Georgia


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## emdeengee

I can't remember if I posted this before or not - memory failure. We get all our prescriptions from a local dispensing pharmacy. They only deal with pharmacy/medication not like a drugstore that carries everything from meds to milk. They dispense meds and make up concoctions as well as selling off the shelf products. My husband was going to buy a bottle of chewable aspirin but the Pharmacist told him she could dispense chewable aspirin to him. So it cost us $2.96 instead of $13.99 for for the same thing. Each dispensing pharmacy will dispense different things. The government is still working on the rules for marijuana now that it will be legal and I hope our pharmacy will be able to dispense this as well which should make it not only less expensive but very controlled for purity etc. Nothing works better for the pain.


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## pixiedoodle

the area we can cut back on is usually in the grocery department. we don't smoke, drink, gamble, party, have no CC debt so shopping is only to replace something truly needed. been trying to cut back on the grocery shopping this yr but seems as tho the prices keep climbing & even cutting out all of the unneccessary items still doesn't seem to make up for the rising costs at the store. i drove the car for the first time in a yr today. haven't been able to drive since i got this heart virus las yr on dec 28th. still not ready to jump into it but going to have to slowly get back into it. sure has saved miles on the 2nd & newer car this yr. by me not being able to drive & dh taking my caar to work & leaving the newer car at home...saved a lot of mileage on the newer car. we cut where we can. medications have been super high this yr since i am on 21 pills a day to keep me going & trying to get better. hope this yr i can cut back on meds & save a hnk of $$ right there. we always try our best to not go overboard & use some common sense in the finance department. every yr. the costs always go up but the income does not. i fear the day will come when we are def. going to be going the opposite way, against our wishes. life sometimes is a kick in the behind when we least need it .


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## ladytoysdream

Well thinking ahead for the new year coming. Just have to keep a tight rein on things.

Been going to the grain mill to get my animal feed. The local mill finally got my layer
crumbles in, so I don't have to do the distance to the other mill, nor do I have to go to
TSC as often. And I got a lead on cheaper sawdust. Plus I get 3 % off for paying cash.
I could probably save a lot by selling off critters, but I am not ready to do that yet.
Just will downsize gradually, and going to smaller size animals.

We got a new Aldi's grocery store. Usually get most of our groceries there. Like I told
the hubby, it all adds up. Get the generic brands. I got paper towels today, a 6 pack
for $ 2.49. Got 2 packages. I can deal with the Xmas theme on them, not a problem


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## pixiedoodle

WE HAVE FOUND THAT THOSE ITEMS WE GIVE UP ON HAVING NEVER SEEM TO BE MISSED. RIGHT NOW OUR FRZRS & PANTRY & CABINETS ARE SO FUL I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING OUT OF ANYTHING EXCEPT MAYBE MILK & BREAD & THE VERY BASICS FOR ANOTHER MONTH.
WE DON'T BUY CLOTHING SHOES ETC TILL ABSOLUTELY NEEDED. NO PLANS ON REPLAING FURNITURE ALTHO WE'D BOTH LIKE A NEW BIGGER CUSHIER RECLINER... THEY WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL WE FIND JUST THE RIGHT ONES FOR THE RIGHT PIRCE...SAVING UP FOR THEM.
WE ADOPTED A CAT OVER THE WKND SO VET BILLS WILL SURELY RISE THIS YR. THO THIS IS A YOUNGER CAT IN GOOD CONDITION SO NO MAJOR HEALTH ISSUES THERE & HE HAS BEEN FIXED & ALL SHOTS & TESTS DONE IN THE PAST FEW WKS. HOWEVER, LIFE ALWAYS HANDS US THE UNEXPECTED & OFTEN THE UNWANTED HOWEVER WE WILL WORK THRU IT LIKE WE ALWAYS HAVE.


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## roadless

If I can't afford it I do without, no credit card debt. If, for convenience, I do use it,I pay it in full when the bill comes in.
I don't have cable tv, I bought an antenna that I put in a window and get about 10 stations, depending on the weather.
I pack my lunch for work.
I always buy used clothing, except undies.
Used furniture and household goods too. Fortunately, I live in a area with great used stores.
I try to do much of the home renovations myself. 
I'm always looking for more ways to save.


----------



## emdeengee

whiterock said:


> don't need walker, just have to go slow, partly my hip and partly circulation I believe.



This is most probably the wrong place to post this and it is dependent an what your actual medical condition is but I try to tell everyone about this because there have been so few really successful medical treatments that I have had that the ones that work still surprise.

If you have osteoarthritis in your joints - hip, knees, shoulder - and cortisone shots don't work as was my situation then you may want to consult your doctor about SYNVISC. 

I very skeptically agreed to this treatment in my hip. Incredible. One injection and I have been pain free (that horrible electric shock, take your breath away type of pain from bone grinding on bone) for a year. They say it is effective for 6 months but I certainly did better. I go for another hip shot in a few weeks and both knees after that. 

It is very expensive but I never expected it to work this well. I of course told all family and friends and some have had the injection as well and they have had the same results at pain relief.


----------



## anniew

roadless said:


> If I can't afford it I do without, no credit card debt. If, for convenience, I do use it,I pay it in full when the bill comes in.
> I don't have cable tv, I bought an antenna that I put in a window and get about 10 stations, depending on the weather.
> I pack my lunch for work.
> I always buy used clothing, except undies.
> Used furniture and household goods too. Fortunately, I live in a area with great used stores.
> I try to do much of the home renovations myself.
> I'm always looking for more ways to save.


Roadless, what kind of antenna did you buy? Brand name and where, please.


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## roadless

anniew said:


> Roadless, what kind of antenna did you buy? Brand name and where, please.


It is called Mohu Leaf ( 60 mile range) . I bought it on sale at Wal-Mart for $ 50.


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## anniew

Thanks. I'll look for one. I have an old tv with a digital converter, but can't get any stations...but, I'm less than 60 miles from both Binghamton and Scranton which each has a couple of stations, so hopefully that antenna may work.


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## pixiedoodle

GOT 2 & SOMETIMES 3 DOWN COMFORTERS ON OUR BED AT NIGHT & THE THEMOSTAT IS ON 60 AT NIGHT. THE DOWN KEEPS US TOASTY WARM BUT MAKE IT HARD TO GET OUT OF THERE TO MAKE COFFEE IN THE MORNINGS & LET THE DOGS OUT & IN..THEY DON'T STAY LONG WITHER & THEN WE ARE ALL BACK ON & UNDER THE "DOWN RETREAT". WOW! THOSE BIG DOWN COMFORTERS ARE AT LEAST 20 YRS OLD & I BOT THEM FOR PRACTICALLY NOTHING AT THE OLD PENNYS OUTLET...WOW! HAVE THEY EVER PAID FOR THEMSELVES & THEN SOME! ONE OF MY BEST INVESTMENTS!!


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## ladytoysdream

I just took some time and reread this thread....all 6 pages of it. Took my time and not
my speed reading style and missing half the information.

I have to sit down and lay out the budget for the first 2 months this year. What is going
out and what coming in. A few extra things, like a vehicle registration , good for 2 years,
and his driver's license. Guess I better check and see when mine is due.
We don't have a escrow for our property taxes so I just save during the year and
then pay in one lump sum when they come due. This year, it maybe half the payment
in January, and then 1/4 in February, and the last 1/4 in March. Not to my liking with
interest being added on. We had quite a few different things last year, that bit into
my setting money aside. Like 4 tires for my truck. Had to get the furnace cleaned and
checked, 1 x in 10 years isn't bad, but still. Everything is paid on time currently. I
don't dare get behind on anything. Dang interest or late fees on things adds up.

Got propane in the little tanks filled last May ( 1 day special ) , at $ 6 each.
Just had 4 tanks refilled and it was $ 55. So that is $ 14 roughly for one tank.
Quite a difference. And hubby wonders why I scrounged for extra used tanks.
Can't afford new anymore.

I'm going to be doing a whole lot of mumbling this year.


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## anniew

move out of New York????


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## ladytoysdream

Oh, no, no. Been here all our lives and family is here. 
We just make do. It's just hard to be retired. Almost like running in place
and going nowhere.


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## anniew

where are you in NY? what county?
I was born and raised in NY, but found this place, the only place I could afford and be within traveling distance to my parents who, at the time, were not doing well. they have since died.
There are nice areas in NY, but the politics stinks, IMHO, but then, it is no better most places.


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## pixiedoodle

dh & i were discussing the monthly expenses that we know will def. go up this yr. & also know that our income is def . going down . his ss went down mine went up a FEW bucks. all insurances related to medicare supplements have gone up at least $30 a mth per person, all ins. up more than $50 each, utilities , phone fee, cable fee, all untilities, ins. supplemnet ins, county taxes on house, car tags, pro[p. taxes, medications. what has gone up far exceeeds the whopping 11 bucks i got for ss. we are running thru this over & over trying to figure out where the extra $$ is coming from when all income is going down & all outgo is going up. only place we can cut seems to be in the grocery department & any eating out we do & that's not much. dh will def keep his part-time job. if i were in better health i would also look for pt work but i am not physically able at this point. we will def be cutting back on gift giving during the holidays next winter etc. we need to replace our wsher dryer as they are on their last leg. eveything that is not vital will not happen. we will reach some point where we can't even make those "cuts" that will will even make any differnce . we may end up selling our house & trying to find something in a decent area that is cheaper, altho housing has gotten so high here it may be cheaper to stay put.
what's everyone else doing to help with everyday living cuts?


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## In The Woods

pixiedoodle said:


> dh & i were discussing the monthly expenses that we know will def. go up this yr. & also know that our income is def . going down . his ss went down mine went up a FEW bucks. all insurances related to medicare supplements have gone up at least $30 a mth per person, all ins. up more than $50 each, utilities , phone fee, cable fee, all untilities, ins. supplemnet ins, county taxes on house, car tags, pro[p. taxes, medications. what has gone up far exceeeds the whopping 11 bucks i got for ss. we are running thru this over & over trying to figure out where the extra $$ is coming from when all income is going down & all outgo is going up. only place we can cut seems to be in the grocery department & any eating out we do & that's not much. dh will def keep his part-time job. if i were in better health i would also look for pt work but i am not physically able at this point. we will def be cutting back on gift giving during the holidays next winter etc. we need to replace our wsher dryer as they are on their last leg. eveything that is not vital will not happen. we will reach some point where we can't even make those "cuts" that will will even make any differnce . we may end up selling our house & trying to find something in a decent area that is cheaper, altho housing has gotten so high here it may be cheaper to stay put.
> what's everyone else doing to help with everyday living cuts?


I am in about the same exact position. I just did my annual budget forecast and also the monthly for next month. I do it every month so I can pin point any places I can cut back.

My SS went up $10 also but just about everything in my budget has increased. Groceries and gas for my truck are the only variables from month to month. I used to keep us on a strict monthly budget for groceries but got tired of it. We NEVER eat out but we each like our snacks. If we are going to be stuck home we should at least be able to have some snacks we like.

I don’t know how to cut back more on gas which averages $90 a month. Grocery runs are a 70 mile round trip which we do only every other week. I tried extending that to every 3 weeks but found we both got a little cabin feverish. We need to go to town once every other week partially for our sanity - just to get away from the house.

We are both ill. Between the 2 of us we each have 2 different doctors which have to be seen every 3 months. They are in 3 different cities. They average out at 140 mile round trips. That comes to about $23 in fuel for each trip.

I could cut back further on groceries and fuel plus a couple other little things. But I refuse to sit here, not go anywhere, and not have a couple treats to eat now and then.


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## Jolly

In The Woods said:


> I am in about the same exact position. I just did my annual budget forecast and also the monthly for next month. I do it every month so I can pin point any places I can cut back.
> 
> My SS went up $10 also but just about everything in my budget has increased. Groceries and gas for my truck are the only variables from month to month. I used to keep us on a strict monthly budget for groceries but got tired of it. We NEVER eat out but we each like our snacks. If we are going to be stuck home we should at least be able to have some snacks we like.
> 
> I don’t know how to cut back more on gas which averages $90 a month. Grocery runs are a 70 mile round trip which we do only every other week. I tried extending that to every 3 weeks but found we both got a little cabin feverish. We need to go to town once every other week partially for our sanity - just to get away from the house.
> 
> We are both ill. Between the 2 of us we each have 2 different doctors which have to be seen every 3 months. They are in 3 different cities. They average out at 140 mile round trips. That comes to about $23 in fuel for each trip.
> 
> I could cut back further on groceries and fuel plus a couple other little things. But I refuse to sit here, not go anywhere, and not have a couple treats to eat now and then.


One of the smarter things my FIL did when they finally, totally retired was sell his truck and bought a used Honda Civic in very good shape. Oh, my MIL still fusses about it, but his gas bill is about $25/month, and they live 30 miles from town.


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## anniew

1. Make your snacks from scratch...that could cut down on your grocery bill.
2. Rather than get a new dryer, are you able to hang clothes outside or on a rack inside? You'd save the cost of the dryer, and some electric, if that is what the current dryer uses, or gas if powered that way.
3. How about car-pooling with a neighbor when you go shopping and sharing the cost of gas.
4. Are the doc appointments necessary for you, or for the doctors' vacation funds? Just asking. 
5. I'd have a hard time without my internet, but if it was necessary for me to cut back and I couldn't find another way, it would be bye-bye. If need be, you could use a library WIFI when you go to shop, and/or tag onto a neighbor's WIFI, with their permission, of course.
6. Can you sell some excess furniture or other household things?
7. Use hand tools instead of electric ones. Carpentry, mechanical, cooking, implements.
Hope at least one suggestion helps.


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## lmrose

We were never big spenders because we never had much money. However since we bought the house trailer I have to save up to make necessary repairs so that means cutting back. 

So one thing I was doing every Wed, since in town this winter, was going to a cooking class. It was a deal where you pay $10 once and then every class after we were given a gift card which pays for the next class. So after the initial ten dollars classes were free. That has changed and classes are now $15 plus tax of 15% which comes to $17.25. We still get the $10 gift card but now have to pay $7.20 each class. That adds up to $28.80 a month. In a year it comes to that comes to $345.60! So I quit going . It is amazing how a small sum can add up over months and years!
I have started buying organic whole wheat flour and organic oats in bulk bags. Today I bought a 20 kilograms [ 44 lbs] bag of oatmeal. By buying in bulk I saved 10%. So that bag which was $72 cost me $64.80. and will last us for at least six months. I don't need flour right now but will buy it bulk and freeze it when I do need it and save the 10%. Food is very expensive so I only buy certain things.
Honey at the natural food store had risen to $13.50 for a jar that holds 1 kilogram which is about two 8 oz. cups. Now at Walmart I found a 2 kilogram plastic jug of honey for $7.50 which is about four 8oz. cups.
I buy clementines, bananas and apples only when on sale. We have stopped buying ice cream which Bill is addicted too because the containers get smaller and the price goes up. It was his idea to stop buying it. Instead I make blender ice cream with frozen fruit. 
We love dark chocolate the 70% kind but I wait and buy it at the dollar store for$1.50 instead of the $3.79 + tax it cost in other stores.
Washing liquids or powders are very expensive here at $12 -$14 a jug or box plus tax so I don't wash clothes with them. I use Borax for washing clothes and white vinegar. A two kilogram [ about 5 lbs] box is $6.50 plus 15% tax . I wait until it is on sale for $4.50 and buy enough to last until the next sale in six months or so. I only buy shampoo and soap on sale too.

We have a car now which is a 2002 Toyota Echo. It is extremely easy on gas and insurance is less because of its age. It runs good and so far only needs tweeking ever so often. Bill did some body work on it so it would pass inspection. Vehicles need inspecting every two years here. 

Since we are in an apartment for the winter we have an electric hot water heater. We pay the power bill so I asked the land lord to turn the heater down. When we came here it was on 40 C [which is about 105 F ]. It is turned down to 22C [ about 68 F]. That is plenty hot enough to take a bath or wash dishes with out adding cold water. I never could see any sense in heating a 40 gallon hot water tank to almost boiling and then have to use more water to cool the water to use it so not to get burned. If it is set hot but not too hot you save water because you don't need to add cold water. You also save because your're not keeping a hot water tank so hot when not using it.

We also save on clothes. I buy shoes and under wear new but everything else is from thrift shops unless there is a really good sale in a store. I usually only shop once a year and only then if we need something. I have also taken a lesson from my Grandmother who was born in 1880 and raised me. She kept very few clothes. She used to say keeping a lot of clothes or anything just creates more work! She had four dresses, two for working in, one for town or visiting and one for church. She used one of three aprons over her work dress to keep it clean. Grandpa had two pairs of work pants and three work shirts and a suit for Sunday and funerals and weddings.. Of course there was warm outer clothes.

We also save because we don't have TV so don't need to pay a provider which could run a $100 to $150 a month. We do have internet which just went up $5 a month to $60 plus tax. 

All our light bulbs have been replaced with LED bulbs. They are expensive to buy but I got them free through an energy program the government had when we had the house. They are very energy saving and last for years. I brought them with me when we moved.
We entertain ourselves at home and only go to local events if they are free . I am not a social person but Bill is I have discovered since he has been in town. He finds plenty to do with his friends that doesn't cost money.

Garbage is picked up every week in town and we are required to use green or black plastic garbage bags and blue ones for recycling. They are expensive to buy to just throw away. I asked the garbage man if I could use a paper bag for garbage and he said I could. But the recycle items still have to go in a blue plastic bag. So I will be careful shopping so not to have a lot to recycle. garbage we wouldn't have at all if I had a wood stove to burn things in.

I have a coin bank which I save all nickels, dimes and quarters in. At the end of the month I put any left over loonies [ a $1 coin] and toonies [ a $2 coin] in the bank with the other change. 
These are some of the things we do to cut back and save money. I am sure there are more if I can think of them.


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## Forcast

Yep all my bills went up by $12 to$22 each per month. I too can't figure out whats left to cut. Did switch to auto bill and pay over the phone to not have to buy stamps.


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## pixiedoodle

lmrose said:


> We were never big spenders because we never had much money. However since we bought the house trailer I have to save up to make necessary repairs so that means cutting back.
> 
> So one thing I was doing every Wed, since in town this winter, was going to a cooking class. It was a deal where you pay $10 once and then every class after we were given a gift card which pays for the next class. So after the initial ten dollars classes were free. That has changed and classes are now $15 plus tax of 15% which comes to $17.25. We still get the $10 gift card but now have to pay $7.20 each class. That adds up to $28.80 a month. In a year it comes to that comes to $345.60! So I quit going . It is amazing how a small sum can add up over months and years!
> I have started buying organic whole wheat flour and organic oats in bulk bags. Today I bought a 20 kilograms [ 44 lbs] bag of oatmeal. By buying in bulk I saved 10%. So that bag which was $72 cost me $64.80. and will last us for at least six months. I don't need flour right now but will buy it bulk and freeze it when I do need it and save the 10%. Food is very expensive so I only buy certain things.
> Honey at the natural food store had risen to $13.50 for a jar that holds 1 kilogram which is about two 8 oz. cups. Now at Walmart I found a 2 kilogram plastic jug of honey for $7.50 which is about four 8oz. cups.
> I buy clementines, bananas and apples only when on sale. We have stopped buying ice cream which Bill is addicted too because the containers get smaller and the price goes up. It was his idea to stop buying it. Instead I make blender ice cream with frozen fruit.
> We love dark chocolate the 70% kind but I wait and buy it at the dollar store for$1.50 instead of the $3.79 + tax it cost in other stores.
> Washing liquids or powders are very expensive here at $12 -$14 a jug or box plus tax so I don't wash clothes with them. I use Borax for washing clothes and white vinegar. A two kilogram [ about 5 lbs] box is $6.50 plus 15% tax . I wait until it is on sale for $4.50 and buy enough to last until the next sale in six months or so. I only buy shampoo and soap on sale too.
> 
> We have a car now which is a 2002 Toyota Echo. It is extremely easy on gas and insurance is less because of its age. It runs good and so far only needs tweeking ever so often. Bill did some body work on it so it would pass inspection. Vehicles need inspecting every two years here.
> 
> Since we are in an apartment for the winter we have an electric hot water heater. We pay the power bill so I asked the land lord to turn the heater down. When we came here it was on 40 C [which is about 105 F ]. It is turned down to 22C [ about 68 F]. That is plenty hot enough to take a bath or wash dishes with out adding cold water. I never could see any sense in heating a 40 gallon hot water tank to almost boiling and then have to use more water to cool the water to use it so not to get burned. If it is set hot but not too hot you save water because you don't need to add cold water. You also save because your're not keeping a hot water tank so hot when not using it.
> 
> We also save on clothes. I buy shoes and under wear new but everything else is from thrift shops unless there is a really good sale in a store. I usually only shop once a year and only then if we need something. I have also taken a lesson from my Grandmother who was born in 1880 and raised me. She kept very few clothes. She used to say keeping a lot of clothes or anything just creates more work! She had four dresses, two for working in, one for town or visiting and one for church. She used one of three aprons over her work dress to keep it clean. Grandpa had two pairs of work pants and three work shirts and a suit for Sunday and funerals and weddings.. Of course there was warm outer clothes.
> 
> We also save because we don't have TV so don't need to pay a provider which could run a $100 to $150 a month. We do have internet which just went up $5 a month to $60 plus tax.
> 
> All our light bulbs have been replaced with LED bulbs. They are expensive to buy but I got them free through an energy program the government had when we had the house. They are very energy saving and last for years. I brought them with me when we moved.
> We entertain ourselves at home and only go to local events if they are free . I am not a social person but Bill is I have discovered since he has been in town. He finds plenty to do with his friends that doesn't cost money.
> 
> Garbage is picked up every week in town and we are required to use green or black plastic garbage bags and blue ones for recycling. They are expensive to buy to just throw away. I asked the garbage man if I could use a paper bag for garbage and he said I could. But the recycle items still have to go in a blue plastic bag. So I will be careful shopping so not to have a lot to recycle. garbage we wouldn't have at all if I had a wood stove to burn things in.
> 
> I have a coin bank which I save all nickels, dimes and quarters in. At the end of the month I put any left over loonies [ a $1 coin] and toonies [ a $2 coin] in the bank with the other change.
> These are some of the things we do to cut back and save money. I am sure there are more if I can think of them.


 love love love all of your saving ideas! gave me lots of ideas i hadn't thot of. i also have too many clothes but the y are mostly heavy winter shirts & lite weight bliouses for dress up. i live in heavy mens "flannel type shorts in the winter & shortsleeve blouses in the summer. i have old shirts from my food service job as a lunch lady/cook that i use for dirty projects, like painting, canning, garden work etc. don't care that they are stained....they serve their purpose & get washed & reused till they fall apart & can't be repaired. we are such a throw away society it boggles my mind. i am dumbfounded at the amount of food people toss out. we toss nothing that is edible& i do not cook as "big" as i use to. all leftovers saved , frozen, re-used/reinvented somehow, sometime. 
enjoyed your post & hope you post more often in the future.


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## Jolly

Never underestimate what it costs to run a vehicle. One of the reasons Dollar General has done well down here is convenience, but also because of price.

An example...DG coupons are linked to a phone number and email address. I use my phone, wife's phone and MIL's phone numbers with three email addresses. So...On many items they only allow you one electronic coupon (they are loaded to your account on the computer), so this last week I had to go to town. On the way back, I pass by three DG stores. I stopped at each one, bought a 30 load box of Gain detergent for $2 and a jar of Hellman's mayo for $3. For my $15, I got 90 loads of clothes and enough mayo for a couple of months.


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## light rain

Imrose, totally agree with you except that 68 degree bath temp. I like a really hot shower and 68 would not work for me. Every time I go into to take a shower I look intensely at the pipe going up from our wood stove. I know there must be a safe way to encircle that pipe with tubing to re-capture the heat to heat water. Just not smart enough to figure out how to do it...

Weather is warm here in WI so I've taken the opportunity this am to stack more wood in the hoop house and bring inside what we need for the next 24 hrs. Also scraped up bark and pine needles and started making rings around the blueberry bushes, currants and apple tree for mulch. Found a neglectected Rubel blueberry that I will concentrate on making happy in the next 3 months. More acid and amendments.

Anything I can do to provide us with better, healthier food takes priority over almost every other aspect of money saving activities. If we're not alive and as healthy as possible, none of the other stuff matters so much...


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## lmrose

light rain said:


> Imrose, totally agree with you except that 68 degree bath temp. I like a really hot shower and 68 would not work for me. Every time I go into to take a shower I look intensely at the pipe going up from our wood stove. I know there must be a safe way to encircle that pipe with tubing to re-capture the heat to heat water. Just not smart enough to figure out how to do it...
> 
> Weather is warm here in WI so I've taken the opportunity this am to stack more wood in the hoop house and bring inside what we need for the next 24 hrs. Also scraped up bark and pine needles and started making rings around the blueberry bushes, currants and apple tree for mulch. Found a neglectected Rubel blueberry that I will concentrate on making happy in the next 3 months. More acid and amendments.
> 
> Anything I can do to provide us with better, healthier food takes priority over almost every other aspect of money saving activities. If we're not alive and as healthy as possible, none of the other stuff matters so much...


Hi, I was thinking about your wood stove. Is it a kitchen wood stove or a heating stove? If it is a kitchen wood stove hot water can be rigged up. People run tubing inside the fire box and out the back of the stove to a hot water tank. The tank has a circulating motor. The water runs from the tank, through the tubing and back to the tank. There is a name for this of which I can't recall at the moment. Maybe some one else will know and can explain it better. We never did this at home. Our kitchen stove had a ten gallon copper lined water tank on the end. It kept water hot as long as there was a fire. Even when the fire went out the water stayed warm a long time. After the kitchen stove wore out we had a heating stove. I put two big kettles of water on the stove to heat bath water and had a tea kettle for cooking water. It works fine if you can live with taking a bath instead of a shower. have a nice day. Linda


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## lmrose

Forcast said:


> Yep all my bills went up by $12 to$22 each per month. I too can't figure out whats left to cut. Did switch to auto bill and pay over the phone to not have to buy stamps.


Since we don't presently have a permanent address I switched to having the power bill, cell phone, internet and tax bill all come in my e-mail and I can pay them through telephone banking or on line. This saves a lot of wasted paper on their part and saves me writing checks and buying stamps and envelopes. Also I save as I don't need transportation to get to the bank in bad weather. Learning something new is always hard especially when you get older. But thanks to a very patient employee at the bank explaining things about a half dozen times to me I caught on. Now I really like it as no matter where we are I can do business over the telephone. I could do so on line but just don't trust the internet as being that secure. I am cautious about trying new things until I understand them. have a nice day. Linda


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## lmrose

anniew said:


> 1. Make your snacks from scratch...that could cut down on your grocery bill.
> 2. Rather than get a new dryer, are you able to hang clothes outside or on a rack inside? You'd save the cost of the dryer, and some electric, if that is what the current dryer uses, or gas if powered that way.
> 3. How about car-pooling with a neighbor when you go shopping and sharing the cost of gas.
> 4. Are the doc appointments necessary for you, or for the doctors' vacation funds? Just asking.
> 5. I'd have a hard time without my internet, but if it was necessary for me to cut back and I couldn't find another way, it would be bye-bye. If need be, you could use a library WIFI when you go to shop, and/or tag onto a neighbor's WIFI, with their permission, of course.
> 6. Can you sell some excess furniture or other household things?
> 7. Use hand tools instead of electric ones. Carpentry, mechanical, cooking, implements.
> Hope at least one suggestion helps.


Hi, I do like you suggested and use drying rack when washing clothes and had a clothes line in fair weather. Also my washer is an apartment size one that can be connected to the kitchen sink. Even though it is small it has four levels.It has knobs instead of electronics so I can stop and start it during its cycle. I do this to avoid two rinses and save water.

My husband uses mostly hand tools and really likes them. I too use mostly non-electrical things. With the wood stove I could heat the old fashioned iron to press clothes and never cooked with electric. Being in town this winter is really different and more expensive with the hot water heater and stove.

Car pooling is a good idea too if someone is going the same way. I walk or use a bicycle mostly in good weather. 

We have a library here with computers that you can sign in to use and many people do. I used too but decided it was too risky as people go there often sick. I would disinfect the computer and keyboard and mouse with but couldn't stop air born germs with people hack and cough. This is flu season here. So we decided internet is important enough it is one luxury we will keep as long as we can. You have some really good suggestions. Have a nice day and thanks for sharing.Linda


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## lmrose

Terri said:


> Cutting back is a game to me, and it pays pretty well. I call it a profitable hobby.
> 
> This month I switched garbage companies. They are under new management, raised their prices twice, and they do not always pick up the garbage when they are supposed to.
> 
> Their competition looks to be the better choice, and the neighbors who have switched says it is significantly cheaper. And, I have noticed that they always pick up on their assigned day.


Good morning; I look at cutting back same as you do! It is necessary but I make a game of it. I like to see how frugal we can be and still have an abundant life! What I find amazing is the things we cut out or get rid of we don't miss. On examination I find they didn't contribute to our goals or happiness anyway.


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## lmrose

DogPatch said:


> Burning our trash has saved us another monthly bill. Recycle/compost what we can and burn the rest!


That is what I miss this winter being in town. We don't have a lot of trash but what we did have went in the wood stove. This is the first time in 40 years we haven'y had a wood stove in the winter! Won't happen again! Bill still takes all our compost out to the farm for his compost pile. We recycle too.


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## Forcast

I wash dishes by hand and cut the bottle of soap with water by 1/2. Same with laundry soap or make the homemade kind.


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## newfieannie

I have a dishwasher but never used it. always use to washing by hand for years so just continued on. I like the idea of filling the bottle with half water forcast. never thought of it. ~Georgia


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## In The Woods

lmrose said:


> Hi, I was thinking about your wood stove. Is it a kitchen wood stove or a heating stove? If it is a kitchen wood stove hot water can be rigged up. People run tubing inside the fire box and out the back of the stove to a hot water tank. The tank has a circulating motor. The water runs from the tank, through the tubing and back to the tank. There is a name for this of which I can't recall at the moment. Maybe some one else will know and can explain it better. We never did this at home. Our kitchen stove had a ten gallon copper lined water tank on the end. It kept water hot as long as there was a fire. Even when the fire went out the water stayed warm a long time. After the kitchen stove wore out we had a heating stove. I put two big kettles of water on the stove to heat bath water and had a tea kettle for cooking water. It works fine if you can live with taking a bath instead of a shower. have a nice day. Linda


Heating water with a cook stove works very well. You can set up the system to not need a circulating pump - it will circulate naturally by convection.

When we lived off grid our cook stove ran 24/7 for 10 months of the year. Always having a small source of hot water was great. Not only bathing but for cooking - a warm kettle of water heats up much faster than a cold one.


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## lmrose

In The Woods said:


> Heating water with a cook stove works very well. You can set up the system to not need a circulating pump - it will circulate naturally by convection.
> 
> When we lived off grid our cook stove ran 24/7 for 10 months of the year. Always having a small source of hot water was great. Not only bathing but for cooking - a warm kettle of water heats up much faster than a cold one.


I agree and can't wait until we are back to the country so we can have a wood stove again!


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## lmrose

Forcast said:


> I wash dishes by hand and cut the bottle of soap with water by 1/2. Same with laundry soap or make the homemade kind.


How do you make your soap and laundry soap?


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## light rain

I burn all types of paper and cardboard but no plastics. 

I have a dear friend who along with her husband planted maple trees after their honeymoon some almost 70 yrs. ago. She and her family collect the fallen branches of these enormous trees and when I visit I throw them in the back of our 20 yr. old pickup. That dry, small maple really gets a fire going quickly!


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## cowboy joe

Thanking our politicians (both sides of the aisle) for sticking their noses in where they don't belong...my healthcare premium went up 23% this year on an already ridiculously expensive premium. According to a friend at the insurance company, this is what happens when politicians wait til the 11th hour to discuss legislation. The 3rd party payers, since they have no clue what will happen or when, are forced to budget based upon a worst case scenario. The company then passes the cost onto the Customer, meaning me. Yep, makes sense. I took on a part time job...20 hrs / week and still need to take money out of my savings. Waiting for my youngest daughter to age out or get married, then going bare bones on coverage.


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## alida

lmrose said:


> Hi, I do like you suggested and use drying rack when washing clothes and had a clothes line in fair weather. Also my washer is an apartment size one that can be connected to the kitchen sink. Even though it is small it has four levels.It has knobs instead of electronics so I can stop and start it during its cycle. I do this to avoid two rinses and save water.
> 
> My husband uses mostly hand tools and really likes them. I too use mostly non-electrical things. With the wood stove I could heat the old fashioned iron to press clothes and never cooked with electric. Being in town this winter is really different and more expensive with the hot water heater and stove.
> *
> Car pooling is a good idea too if someone is going the same way. I walk or use a bicycle mostly in good weather. *
> 
> We have a library here with computers that you can sign in to use and many people do. I used too but decided it was too risky as people go there often sick. I would disinfect the computer and keyboard and mouse with but couldn't stop air born germs with people hack and cough. This is flu season here. So we decided internet is important enough it is one luxury we will keep as long as we can. You have some really good suggestions. Have a nice day and thanks for sharing.Linda


Your comment about biking made me smile. I was raised in a town of about 2000 people,and once we all left home my mother picked up a part time job a five minute drive from home. She worked there for years and instead of driving she rode her bicycle,which took 10 minutes along quiet streets and gave her some enjoyable exercise because she got none at work. She also biked because she couldn't see the point of driving and wasting gas for such a short trip. She biked to work until she was 64 and never thought a thing about doing so (in the 90's). Imagine her astonishment when she overheard two people talking one day inside the store and one mentioned how sad it was that the senior lady (63!) couldn't afford to drive to work and was reduced to biking instead. The other one laughed and set her straight very fast. I think Mom was more astonished that the person considered her senior, than a adult would bike to work. Mom retired when my Dad became ill at 64, and then she had some people ask about her out of concern - because they missed seeing her bike past their homes! (there are no secrets in small towns sometimes)


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## Forcast

If you had no other choice would you drop homeowners insurance or life insurance?


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## Forcast

Forcast said:


> I wash dishes by hand and cut the bottle of soap with water by 1/2. Same with laundry soap or make the homemade kind.



Grate the bar soap or mix in food processor until finely ground. Use the soap of your choice. In a large bowl, mix 2 parts washing soda, 2 parts Borax and 1 part grated soap. Store in closed container. Use 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup per load of laundry.


lmrose said:


> How do you make your soap and laundry soap?


https://happymoneysaver.com/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-worth-the-cost/
I dont add the smelly stuff or oxiclean. Just the 3 things washing soda borax and fels-naptha. You can grate the fels naptha with a grater.


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## ladytoysdream

Forcast said:


> If you had no other choice would you drop homeowners insurance or life insurance?


Drop the life insurance.
If your house goes up in flame, you need money to replace it and or money to set up somewhere else.
You won't benefit from the life insurance, only your heirs will.


----------



## lmrose

alida said:


> Your comment about biking made me smile. I was raised in a town of about 2000 people,and once we all left home my mother picked up a part time job a five minute drive from home. She worked there for years and instead of driving she rode her bicycle,which took 10 minutes along quiet streets and gave her some enjoyable exercise because she got none at work. She also biked because she couldn't see the point of driving and wasting gas for such a short trip. She biked to work until she was 64 and never thought a thing about doing so (in the 90's). Imagine her astonishment when she overheard two people talking one day inside the store and one mentioned how sad it was that the senior lady (63!) couldn't afford to drive to work and was reduced to biking instead. The other one laughed and set her straight very fast. I think Mom was more astonished that the person considered her senior, than a adult would bike to work. Mom retired when my Dad became ill at 64, and then she had some people ask about her out of concern - because they missed seeing her bike past their homes! (there are no secrets in small towns sometimes)


That is so nice your Mom biked all those years! I know I will continue as long as my health permits. Don't bike in town though unless it is a Sat or Sun when there is very little traffic. You're right about small towns. Yarmouth town as about 8,000 people now and I recognize half of them and the other half recognize me! Can't remember their names though. But everyone seems to know what everyone else is doing!


----------



## pixiedoodle

SINCE DH HAD T BE OUT OF TOWN THIS WKND I WAS ON MY OWN FOR ONLY THE 2ND OR 3RD TIME SINCE I GOT THE HEART VIRUS LAST YR A FEW DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS OF 2016. WHILE HE WAS GONE I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR SO DIDN'T GO ANYWHWERE & DEF. NOT TO THE STORE. AMAZING HOW MUCH I DO NOT NEED JUST YET. STILL PRETTY GOOD ON BASICS BUT BY THE TIME NEXT WKND ROLLS AROUND WE'LL PROB. NEED BREAD, MILK, FRESH PRODUCE & FRUIT BUT STILL GOOD ON MEATS & BAKING SUPPIES. CAN'T SAY I MINDED NOT GOING TO THE STORES. 
GOING TO TRY TO DRIVE THIS EVENING AGAIN OR MAYBE TOM. MORNING AFTER THE RUSH HOUSR IS OVER...WE LIVE ON A BUSY 4 LANE STREET THAT RESEMBLES A RACE TRACK! IT'S HARD GETTING BACK IN THE DRIVING GROOVE AFTER BEING UNABLE TOO FOR A YEAR. ALMOST LIKE STARTING ALL OVER.
SAVED MONEY BY ME NOT DRIVING FOR THE PAST YR. HOPE BY THE TIME SPRING GETS HERE I WILL BE BACK IN THE GROOVE IN THE DRIVING DEPARTMENT. TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE PUBLIC TILL THIS FLU EPIDEMIC HAS PASSED OUR AREA HERE IN KC METRO. SURE DON'T NEED THAT.
OVERALL, THIS WAS A CHEAP WEEK FOR US IN THE GROCERY DEPARTMENT. GOING TO KEEP IT THIS WAY ALLLL WEEK LONG IF POSSIBLE. I'LL BE GETING AS CREATIVE AS I CAN WITH LEFTOVERS & THAWING OUT SOMEHTING NEW WHEN THE LEFTOVERS ARE FINISHED....THEN AGAIN, ARE LEFTOVERS EVER FINISHED?


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## krackin

Drop life insurance unless you can borrow from it. 

The one who owes the IRS the most at death wins.


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## CountryMom22

I lost another grooming client today because they are an elderly couple who just can't afford to live in NJ anymore due to the taxes. It's making me wonder how we are going to be able to stay when we get to that age. Hubby will never retire as he loves what he does and has to be busy all the time. I would like to find something other than grooming as I get older and the arthritis gets worse, but just can't seem to find anything that will pay like the grooming for the same number of hours. So I'll be going over the budget yet again to see what else we can cut so we can save more money towards retirement. It's hard since we are both self employed and as such will not have any pension to depend on.

Our health insurance, like everything else, just keeps going up, with no end in sight. Every time we go to the store, the prices have gone up. About the only thing not going up is our income. But my blood pressure sure is rising!


----------



## ladytoysdream

CountryMom22 said:


> So I'll be going over the budget yet again to see what else we can cut so we can save more money towards retirement. It's hard since we are both self employed and as such will not have any pension to depend on


Make sure you are paying into Social Security and you have at least 40 quarters to draw on when you do retire.
Know a person who just tried to draw SS and found out had none. The accountant never paid it in.

Make sure your house is paid in full before you do retire. That really helps to not have a house payment.
The school and property taxes in this state are bad enough by themselves. 
When we set this house up, we decided to have everything on one level. No second floor, no basement.
We live rural so have our own well. We have a outside wood boiler to heat our house. Cheaper than propane.
I try to set money aside each month so can pay yearly bills in full as they come due. Like our taxes,
the vehicle insurance and the fire insurance. Those statements every month have a fee tacked on.
We try to stock ahead. It's a on going challenge to be sure.


----------



## frogmammy

CountryMom22, I just found a groomer who will come to my house and cut dog nails, for $10 a dog. I'm in heaven! If you live in an area that is well populated, perhaps you could do the same or something similar for retirement income. I know I'm going to suggest that if the lady who does my dog nails wants more business, she should post her contact info at the senior center...

Mon


----------



## lmrose

Forcast said:


> Grate the bar soap or mix in food processor until finely ground. Use the soap of your choice. In a large bowl, mix 2 parts washing soda, 2 parts Borax and 1 part grated soap. Store in closed container. Use 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup per load of laundry.
> 
> https://happymoneysaver.com/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-worth-the-cost/
> I dont add the smelly stuff or oxiclean. Just the 3 things washing soda borax and fels-naptha. You can grate the fels naptha with a grater.


Thanks for telling me this. I will try this winter to make some while I have more time.


----------



## light rain

CountryMom22 I totally understand your concern over the rising costs of living as we advance in years. That was one reason we decided to leave the D.C./VA area in the nineties. A small little house in a marginal location was running over 100,000 in our neighborhood with property taxes in excess of 1500.00. 

But moving to a rural area and thinking you can live on love and sunshine and make the same $$$ as in the city was an unrealistic expectation on my part. Reality has a way of rudely awakening a person. 

Even though we/I'm so glad we made the move to the Midwest. 

While grooming dogs may be too much physical work have you considered boarding animals? I had a friend that did both for almost 60 yrs. She passed away in her 90's after one of those bad hurricanes in Fla. when she slipped and cracked her head open near her swimming pool. Refused to go with the EMTs to the hospital. She was one of a kind born in England and I miss her.


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## pixiedoodle

haven't been to the store for nearly 2 wks...def. saved $$ there. however i am getting low on some of the basics so this wkend will cost more than i was wanting to spend. got to have some basics to get by for another 2 wks. out of most fresh produce & fresh milk & canned fruit. list is growing but will do my best to keep it down.


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## Forcast

krackin said:


> Drop life insurance unless you can borrow from it.
> 
> The one who owes the IRS the most at death wins.


No didnt borrow its only on the second year. Got it before i turned 60 right before a huge surgery. Not sure if would have paid out since it was just under a year old. Oh well. Sold some drugs that will cover taxes. Haha


----------



## whiterock

My Medicare advantage went up almost double. Seems a large increase but to me it is still a bargain. My drug costs are astronomical , no way I could pay for the leukemia meds without it. Taxes went up a bit due to increase in property value, the house taxes are frozen now but not the land, Ag exemption helps greatly there. Had a big propane bill this month but I have used less this winter than in the past and get a discount on it too. Some months I have more going out than coming in, others it reverses. Generally come out ahead though. Don't deprive myself, of course I have the house and the vehicles paid for, just taxes and maintenance on them. Had to replace some siding on the back of the house a few months ago, not as costly as I expected. Newest vehicle is a 2005. It is mostly for dr visits, I drive one of the older pickups most often, Put gas in it the end of the month, once a month. Car gets a fill up as needed, last one was last week and had been three months since the last one. I had three dr runs this week so put about 250 miles on in 4 days.


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## Clem

Forcast said:


> ............. Oh well. Sold some drugs that will cover taxes. Haha


My filters are broke, too.


----------



## oneraddad

Forcast said:


> No didnt borrow its only on the second year. Got it before i turned 60 right before a huge surgery. Not sure if would have paid out since it was just under a year old. Oh well. Sold some drugs that will cover taxes. Haha



Just tell the Doc you hurt really bad and he'll give you more, you can be the middleman.


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## pixiedoodle

SEEMS AS THO OUR BILLS HAVE ALL GONE UP ABOUT 25% THIS YR. NOT LOOKING GOOD. WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP CUTTING BACK ON NON-SET EXPENCES EVERYWHERE WE CAN. THE INCOME SURE DOESN'T KEEP UP WITH THE OUT-GO NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SCRIMP. EVERY YEAR WE JUST HAVE TO PLAN ON NOTHING GOING DOWN & MOST EVERYTHING GOING UP. WE SHOULD PROBABLY MOVE TO SMALLER HOUSING BUT WE'VE BEEN HERE 12 YRS & HOUSING IN EVERY FORM HAVE SKYROCKETED HERE SO WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY ADVANTAGE TO SELLING & MOVING. CHEAP APT. RENTAL IS WAY MORE THAN OUR HOUSE PAYMENT SO WE STAY. I REMEMBER MY GRANNY LIVING IN A 2 ROOM HOUSE . THE LIVING ROOM WAS HER ENTRY & BEDROOM & THE OTHER ROOM WAS LONGER SO ONE END WAS STOVE SINK & FRIDGE & THE REST CONTAINED 1 CHAIR, A TINY TV & A ROLLAWAY BED & THEN THERE WAS A ROOM ABOUT 5X5 SHE CALLED A CLOSET WITH A CURTAIN FOR A DOOR, SOME SHELVES & A CHAMBER POT TO USE AT NITE SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE OUT-HOUSE. IT SEEMED PERFECTLY "NORMAL" TO US...WILL WE END UP LIKE THAT IN OUR OLD AGE? HOPE NOT!


----------



## In The Woods

pixiedoodle said:


> SEEMS AS THO OUR BILLS HAVE ALL GONE UP ABOUT 25% THIS YR. NOT LOOKING GOOD. WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP CUTTING BACK ON NON-SET EXPENCES EVERYWHERE WE CAN. THE INCOME SURE DOESN'T KEEP UP WITH THE OUT-GO NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SCRIMP. EVERY YEAR WE JUST HAVE TO PLAN ON NOTHING GOING DOWN & MOST EVERYTHING GOING UP. WE SHOULD PROBABLY MOVE TO SMALLER HOUSING BUT WE'VE BEEN HERE 12 YRS & HOUSING IN EVERY FORM HAVE SKYROCKETED HERE SO WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY ADVANTAGE TO SELLING & MOVING. CHEAP APT. RENTAL IS WAY MORE THAN OUR HOUSE PAYMENT SO WE STAY. I REMEMBER MY GRANNY LIVING IN A 2 ROOM HOUSE . THE LIVING ROOM WAS HER ENTRY & BEDROOM & THE OTHER ROOM WAS LONGER SO ONE END WAS STOVE SINK & FRIDGE & THE REST CONTAINED 1 CHAIR, A TINY TV & A ROLLAWAY BED & THEN THERE WAS A ROOM ABOUT 5X5 SHE CALLED A CLOSET WITH A CURTAIN FOR A DOOR, SOME SHELVES & A CHAMBER POT TO USE AT NITE SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE OUT-HOUSE. IT SEEMED PERFECTLY "NORMAL" TO US...WILL WE END UP LIKE THAT IN OUR OLD AGE? HOPE NOT!


I plan to stay here as long as I can. It is true what you said for us also - we can not afford to sell and move. We live in a very rural area which we love but the real estate market is flat. I have a very nice home with barn, garden shed, pavilion all on 6 acres which is all along a beautiful small river nestled in the mountains. But nobody wants to live here so there is no demand for properties.

If you took my place and found the exact same thing 100 miles to my south it would be worth 4 times as much.

My mortgage payment is less than rent for an apartment would be - and only have 17 months to go! Some days I think we will never make it but this has been what we worked for for over 20 years now.

The two of us are somehow surviving on only my SS and constantly have to look at our budget to find things to trim. One thing that is tough is the long distances we have to travel for grocery runs and costant doctor appointments. This month alone I will spend over $100 on fuel which really makes the rest of the budget tight.


----------



## newfieannie

you'll make it! that 17 months will be gone in no time and just think how much better off you'll be when there is no mortgage payment going out. ~Georgia


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## pixiedoodle

newfieannie said:


> you'll make it! that 17 months will be gone in no time and just think how much better off you'll be when there is no mortgage payment going out. ~Georgia


I AGREE WITH THAT! SOUNDS REALLY GOOD & WISH WE WERE IN THAT "FINANCIAL "SPOT". UNLESS WE INHERIT $$FROM THE $$ GODS, I SEE NO WAY TO STAY HERE TILL THE HOUSE IS PAID OFF. ...19 YRS OF MORTGAGE TO GO & I AM 72 TOMORROW IF I LIVE THRU THE NIGHT! I ONCE HEARD THAT LIFE GIVES YOU CHALLENGES & IT SURE SEEMS TO BE WORKING OUT THAT WAY.


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## pixiedoodle

IN NEED OF FRESH PRODUCE THIS WEEK BUT GOOD ON EVERYTHING ELSE. NOT PLANNING ON BUYING ANY OF THE SALE ITEMS EVEN THO THEY ARE GOOD BUYS....JUST DON'T NEED THEM. FOUND 2 MORE BEEF/TURKEY BURGERS IN THE FRIDGE FRZR SO THOSE WIL GET FINISHED OFF FIRST. EVEN FOUND BUNS IN THE BACK OF THE FRIDGE. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE BOUNTY OF FOODS WE WERE ABLE TO PUT AWAY IN THE FREEZERS, PANTRY & FRIDGE OF COURSE. DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE HOUSE, THE CARS, ETC. TRYING TO UT A BIT IN SAVINGS EVERY PAYDAY NO MATTER HOW SMALL, IT ALL ADDS UP. IF WE COULD JUST LOWER THE TAXES ON THIS HOME IT WOULD EB A HUGE HELP. IF IT WAS PAID FOR IT WOULD BE EVE A BETTER DEAL. NEEDING INSULATION IN THE ATTIC WOULD HELP WITH UTILITIES. WORKING ON FINDING AN AFFORDABLE BID ON THAT. WE HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THE INDOWS, PATIO DOOR, BLOWN INSULATION IN THE WALLS ETC. PROGRESS BUT STILL SO MUCH TO GO TO MAKE IT ENERGY EFFICIENT.


----------



## Terri

We have had some big expenses over the last 2 month. I am retaliating by using my survey earnings for Wal MArt coupons: I wonder if I can buy groceries for a month off of coupons? I started out with $50 worth, but I had to buy some allergy meds for $12 so some of that is used.

I have a pantry to hold the extra food I buy on sale, so between that and earning Wal Mart coupons it is theoretically possible I can feed us for some weeks.


----------



## In The Woods

Terri said:


> We have had some big expenses over the last 2 month. I am retaliating by using my survey earnings for Wal MArt coupons: I wonder if I can buy groceries for a month off of coupons? I started out with $50 worth, but I had to buy some allergy meds for $12 so some of that is used.
> 
> I have a pantry to hold the extra food I buy on sale, so between that and earning Wal Mart coupons it is theoretically possible I can feed us for some weeks.


That would be a neat challenge!

Just curious what you mean by survey earnings - are you a surveyor?


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## Terri

In The Woods said:


> That would be a neat challenge!
> 
> Just curious what you mean by survey earnings - are you a surveyor?


No, I do on-line surverys for Swagbucks and such, and I average about 50 cents each.

I can take my earnings as either paypal deposits or printed gift cards, and lately I have been taking them as Wal mart gift cards.


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## gilberte

Pork chops were on sale yesterday for $.98 lb. Didn't really need any more meat right now but figured it would be a good idea to snag 20lbs.


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## pixiedoodle

discovered that our new top load no agitator washer will hold our king sized bedspreads & king sized down comforters. no more pricey trips to the laundromat to use their giant washers & dryers! that always runs about $30-$40 to wash & dry or more a couple of times a yr. $30 -$40 i can apply to these many & high $$ drugs i am now on for the heart damage from the heart virus a yr ago & the defibrillator device i now have which in itself creaetes a need for more high $$ drugs.


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## vickinell

When I color my hair, I split the product in two. I just color the top of my hair to get the roots, then add a little water to the bottle to cover the rest. I am a little gray on top. I use a color close to my natural color. I get two for the price of one.


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## Terri

Terri said:


> We have had some big expenses over the last 2 month. I am retaliating by using my survey earnings for Wal MArt coupons: I wonder if I can buy groceries for a month off of coupons? I started out with $50 worth, but I had to buy some allergy meds for $12 so some of that is used.
> 
> I have a pantry to hold the extra food I buy on sale, so between that and earning Wal Mart coupons it is theoretically possible I can feed us for some weeks.


Nope.

Today I paid $13 cash on a $53 shopping trip, and I used all my coupons.

What can I say? We like to eat well, and DH asked me to get a variety of fruit. So I did.


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## newfieannie

I thought I'd try to save a bit on gas this month and turn the thermostat down a notch.never noticed any difference in temp but I see today by the automatic billing statement that I saved 50 dollars. shovelled my own driveway for the past 3 snowfalls. that save 150. wonder what I can do next month. ~Georgia


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## CountryMom22

That's great guys! Goodness knows, every little bit helps!


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## wonderwmn

Well since he retired we have no cable tv. only an antenna,which is fine with us. We were very tired of those high dollar cable bills for what we needed. We use netflix and antenna and are perfectly satisfied. Where we live the bundling idea for phone and internet are not a good option. We have a well so that eliminates the water/trash pickup /and sewer expense. I burn the burnable and have a septic. I am in heaven. House is paid for, bills are lower than we ever had them and life is good.


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## anniew

No tv here...and internet thanks to the generosity of my neighbor's WIFI.


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## In The Woods

anniew said:


> No tv here...and internet thanks to the generosity of my neighbor's WIFI.


I can’t believe how many people don’t secure their router with a password. I can’t even see any neighbors where I live and still have my router protected.

I knew a guy who lived in an apartment and hadn’t paid for internet in 10 years - stealing his neighbors signal.


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## light rain

Hmmnn. Back in the 1980's DH did something with an aluminum snow dish up in the attic of a rental and we got signals/stations we did not pay for. And yah know, while I may have heartburn, it is definitely is not caused by that absconding of microwaves.


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## anniew

In the woods: I have my neighbor's permission to use their signal...and was given their password...


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## ladytoysdream

We just bought a tractor trailer load of logs for our outside wood boiler.
Hubby will be doing the cutting. That will keep him busy for awhile.
I had the budget figured out and now it's going to be pinching tight again.
But we will be ahead now on our wood pile. I guess sometimes you have
to spend money whether you want to or not.


----------



## Terri

Today I re-hydrated the sweet potatos I dehydrated last year. They are, unfortunately, bland. I do not want to eat them.

So I am going to spice them up and turn them into a (possibly crustless) pie. It is a shame we have no cool whip, but I bet the pie is good, even though I will use artificial sweetener in it (I am a diabetic and DH is on a diet).


----------



## light rain

Terri you could grind them up and add to homemade bread or meatloaf.

I have 4 sweet potatoes in jars of water producing vines. Also have one container with cuttings rooted. The Hannah sweet potato is really sending out a lot of vines as compared to the darkly colored sweet potatoes.

Had a fire last night in the wood stove but it went up in the mid 50's here today. Shirt sleeves weather so no fire tonight. 

We both survived another winter and 39 yrs. 4 days of marriage. I'm grateful.


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## Terri

The pie was pretty good, but next time I will DEFINATELY grind them before I rehydrate them! I ended up forcing them through a sieve, which was a pain!

I bet sweet potato bread with pumpkin pie spices would be great!


----------



## HeavyHauler

Cutting out electricity usage down. Most recent bill was $655.72


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## newfieannie

you must have an all electric house do you HH. I'm down another 50 dollars on my gas bill and 30 on my water. ~Georgia


----------



## HeavyHauler

newfieannie said:


> you must have an all electric house do you HH. I'm down another 50 dollars on my gas bill and 30 on my water. ~Georgia


Yes ma'am. All lectric.

The furnace kills our bill in the winter. -55c for a good portion of it.

Thinking about getting installing a wood stove like the house used to have before my grandparents "upgraded" to electric.

You would think all of our dams up here in northern Manitoba would give us cheaper hydro, but it's not so unfortunately. They're raising the rates.


----------



## Clem

Holy cow!! I was a little upset that the light bill that posted last night was $112.


----------



## HeavyHauler

Clem said:


> Holy cow!! I was a little upset that the light bill that posted last night was $112.


I wish!

We turned down the heat, unplugged a bunch of stuff and figuring out other ways to reduce it all.


----------



## HeavyHauler

Clem said:


> Holy cow!! I was a little upset that the light bill that posted last night was $112.


I wish!

We turned down the heat, unplugged a bunch of stuff and figuring out other ways to reduce it all.

Bought a bunch of LED lights on sale at Walmart for $2.50; going back next week to buy a whole bunch more. A steal of a deal.


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## gilberte

If our electric bill goes over $50 I can't sleep at night until I figure out how to reduce it.


----------



## Clem

I've got like 24 100 watt CFL bulbs on 16 hours a day for my tomatoes and peppers. That had to add 80 cents a day or something.


----------



## Terri

After figuring out how to raise potatos without having to dig them, I invested in Elba seed potatos, which are supposed to be unusually good keepers. The plan is to raise them, store them, and eat some but save plenty for seed next year. I also spent $1.25 per pound for 5 pounds of ordinary seed potatos, which should supply us with eating potatos for months. My eating potatos are "superior", which is early but not a good keeper.

As for my no-dig system, I made some raised beds that were are just 1 foot wide. I am filling them with leaves, chicken bedding, odd bits of soil, whatever. When the potatos are ready I can pull the board at the side of the bed away and pick the potatos out with my fingers, unless the soil is light enough for me to just put my hand down and take them. Building the raised beds used some boards that I scrounged and the filling was scrounged as well.


----------



## gilberte

We only recently started growing our potatoes from the previous years crop, maybe three years ago. What started us was the outrageous cost of seed potatoes! We grow two thirty foot rows and after daily use get two six-gallon buckets to store.

They start getting real soft and growing long shoots along about right now and it's time to start selecting the ones we want to for next years crop. Unfortunately we will have to buy potatoes in the interim but this system works for us.


----------



## Terri

Potatos in the store are $1 a pound now, unless they are on sale. I am looking forward to harvest!


----------



## gilberte

Wow! That's expensive. We can get them here for 30-35 cents lb.


----------



## Terri

Does Maine raise potatos? That might explain the difference in price. Because the Midwest grows little produce: we ship it in.

We get major temperature swings that vegetables hate but grass and grain do not care. So the farmer's out here mostly raise grass and grain, and produce is mostly raised by gardeners who can hover over the vegetable plants a bit. Most people just buy produce in the stores. Oh, it is true there are a couple of orchards that I know of...... 2, in fact, one in Kansas and one in Missouri. Also there are people who sell at the Farmer's Market but most of them have a town job as well. That means they can gamble on temperamental (but more profitable) vegetables, instead of going with the more reliable grass and cattle.

At any rate, potatos get cheap in the Fall for a few short weeks, and then the prices all go up.


----------



## mmoetc

The advantage of living in potato growing country is that they are almost always inexpensive. In the fall I can buy 50lb bags for $7.99. $9.99 for Yukon golds. Bought a five pound bag of russets last week for $1.19. The major regional gas station is routinely 39cents per pound. Big bakers are never more than 79 cents per pound.


----------



## Terri

I have never seen a 50 pound bag other than in pictures


----------



## HeavyHauler

Terri said:


> I have never seen a 50 pound bag other than in pictures


We only get 10# bags here, $8.99 and tons of potatoes are grown in Manitoba


----------



## Micheal

Terri, like your system.......
One of my patio gardening friends does about the same but uses 5 gal buckets with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. She fills it bout 1/3 to 1/2 full of a soil mixture, plants her seed potatoes (2or 3 per bucket) then adds her soil mixture filling the bucket as the plants grow. Once the plants die off she tips the buckets over and dumps her bounty out. 
Around here you can find potatoes for $3.99 to $5.83 for 10 lbs......


----------



## Terri

Micheal said:


> Terri, like your system.......
> One of my patio gardening friends does about the same but uses 5 gal buckets with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. She fills it bout 1/3 to 1/2 full of a soil mixture, plants her seed potatoes (2or 3 per bucket) then adds her soil mixture filling the bucket as the plants grow. Once the plants die off she tips the buckets over and dumps her bounty out.
> Around here you can find potatoes for $3.99 to $5.83 for 10 lbs......


There is a gent on youtube, Home Grown Veg, who has 40-odd 10 inch pots and it looks like he gets about a pound plus of vegetables per pot. When he dumps out his early potatos he transplants leek or celery seedlings that he had started from seed earlier: in that way he gets 2 crops per pot.

He also has 3 raised beds, and it looks like he has produce to burn! After he harvests he "refreshes" his soil with a mixture of fertilizers, and then he plants again.


----------



## emdeengee

It is tax refund time so many people will get a lump sum that could save them money in the future.

Many bills we have to pay come with payment plans – pay it all or break it down to monthly or tri-monthly payments. This makes it easier to pay of course but it always costs you more. 

All of our insurances, taxes, and utilities come with these options. This month we paid house insurance and city utilities in full. This saved us $62 on the insurance and $21 on the city utilities (which are paid 4 times a year so paying on time saves $84).

We used a tax refund from a few years ago to get onto the paying in full system and after that I just put aside the required amounts every month so that every year since then we have the full payment ready to go. Over the years it saves a lot. If we save $62 every year that is $620 in ten years. Nearly enough for a full payment.


----------



## HeavyHauler

emdeengee said:


> It is tax refund time so many people will get a lump sum that could save them money in the future.
> 
> Many bills we have to pay come with payment plans – pay it all or break it down to monthly or tri-monthly payments. This makes it easier to pay of course but it always costs you more.
> 
> All of our insurances, taxes, and utilities come with these options. This month we paid house insurance and city utilities in full. This saved us $62 on the insurance and $21 on the city utilities (which are paid 4 times a year so paying on time saves $84).
> 
> We used a tax refund from a few years ago to get onto the paying in full system and after that I just put aside the required amounts every month so that every year since then we have the full payment ready to go. Over the years it saves a lot. If we save $62 every year that is $620 in ten years. Nearly enough for a full payment.


We plan to use my tax refund next year, and every year after to go to our savings for a piece of land. I usually get $5,500ish every year.

A couple years ago, I got $22,000ish back after not doing my taxes for several years. We don't have much to show for it now. Except our Cane Corso. We used it for a bunch of stuff we needed and bills that needed paying.

It was a nice chunk of change.

Ahh well, money comes and it goes. We're smarter with our money now.


----------



## newfieannie

I think most of go through that at one time or another. I know my husband and I did. now I make sure everything is paid in full. I had to pay in 7thousand this year though for income tax. I still haven't figured that out. I spose I will once I sit down and look everything over. I just sit there at H&R block and answer any questions if they ask but I haven't got a clue . Andrew use to do the taxes himself.~Georgia


----------



## emdeengee

HeavyHauler said:


> We plan to use my tax refund next year, and every year after to go to our savings for a piece of land. I usually get $5,500ish every year.
> 
> A couple years ago, I got $22,000ish back after not doing my taxes for several years. We don't have much to show for it now. Except our Cane Corso. We used it for a bunch of stuff we needed and bills that needed paying.
> 
> It was a nice chunk of change.
> 
> Ahh well, money comes and it goes. We're smarter with our money now.




For the first 20 or so years we were incredibly reckless, feckless, careless and thoughtless with our money and as a result we have less than we could, should or would have for retirement. BUT we had a really wonderful time and did so many things that we would not have done if we had had any sense. So no real regrets. But things catch up with you and you also mature (if slowly). It is never too late to start planning and saving for the things you want and need. Paying off our debts and learning to save for what we wanted and pay cash for everything has changed everything for us over the last 20 years. You sound like you have a good idea of where you are going in life.

A Cane Corso sounds like a great investment to me. We have an Anatolian Shepherd that we got for free as a rescue from the Humane Society. We knew nothing about them but now I would pay a lot to have another just like him. No one knows his story but he weighed only 75 lbs when found when he should have weighed 150 and it is obvious that he had been loved as he is incredibly well trained. No one ever claimed him or even put him up as a lost dog. Lucky for us.


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## emdeengee

newfieannie said:


> I think most of go through that at one time or another. I know my husband and I did. now I make sure everything is paid in full. I had to pay in 7thousand this year though for income tax. I still haven't figured that out. I spose I will once I sit down and look everything over. I just sit there at H&R block and answer any questions if they ask but I haven't got a clue . Andrew use to do the taxes himself.~Georgia


Did H&R do your taxes last year? If your financial situations have not changed it seems odd that you have to pay so much - if this is more than normal Compare this year to a couple of the previous years and this may help you to see what has changed. I don't think any of the CRA changes would make such a difference.


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## HeavyHauler

I wouldn't get H&R to do your taxes, do it yourself with turbotax and the CRA.

I do mine every year, except when I had that one big return. 7 years of taxes to do was way too much


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## newfieannie

I got it all figured out now. it's all to do with the estate. everything will be back to normal next year. ~Georgia


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## mekasmom

Forcast said:


> Cut down the amount of cats. One car on the road.


I wish I could do this. It's like every cat in a mile radius begs here. I have/own one cat. A house manx that is about nine or so. But I feed a lot more. My daughter lives a ways down the road, and she feeds her cat, a maine **** cat, and all sorts of others that show up for free food.


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## TheMartianChick

We have a few strays around our house. We don't feed them but they wander through anyway. We don't mind...Free rodent control!

We recently cut out cable. I had been wanting to do it for a while but hubby wasn't going for it. We share Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and SlingTv with our children so we only pay for internet, security and a silly telephone that we don't actually use. Getting rid of cable cut our monthly Spectrum bill by $140 per month.


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## newfieannie

I got 4 TV's in the house not hooked up. I got rid of satellite several years ago . don't miss it one bit. this morning I cancelled my blue cross plan. have had that for 15 years since my husband passed .over 100 dollars a month. never once used it. doesn't even cover meds.but I don't use any. i'll probably get sick after I did that. I talked to some people before I did it and none of them have it. I got sick of them raising it every 2 or 3 months and I never used it. ~Georgia


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## emdeengee

Cutting out extra medical is a difficult choice. I would not have ours except for the pharmaceutical coverage. Dental, hearing, vision and all the other stuff is nice but not something that we would pay for if there was no drug coverage. We used very little of the coverage for 20 years but when I got sick it really paid off. Just two of my drugs totals over $2000 a month and we pay 10%. The big chemo drug is $16,000 a month and fortunately the manufacturer has a 50% bonus plan and with Great West insurance and chronic healthcare from the government paying most of the balance we can just afford the rest. Is there another plan you could get?


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## ladytoysdream

I been frustrated with the cost of food. It seems every time, I go to the store, that something else has gone
up in cost. I was getting him saltines at 85 cents a box and now they are $ 1.49 a box and that basic brand
is no longer carried  I am going to be really bummed if they do the same with the coffee.
Bought a 10 pound bag of white potatoes for 3.99 the other day. I wanted the 5 pound bag of new red
potatoes, but they were 3.99 also. So I went with the whites. 1/2 the price.
Sometimes it seems like all I do is compare prices. He like his potato chips. The Lays are like 2.50 for a
10 ounce bag. Walmart brand was $ 2.08 for a 16 ounce bag. He got the Walmart brand.


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## Terri

The cost of food is amazing, isn't it? I am THRILLED that my garden is starting to produce so now i will not be spending so much on produce. Yesterday I got a bowl of lettuce, the day before that a bowl of strawberries, and the day before that a bowl of bok choi. This summer there are fewer demands on my time, so I will be raising extra produce to freeze and root cellar, instead of extra produce to give away.

I do not know HOW to root cellar, but I have a book about it. No doubt it will all work out.


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## alida

I've been trying to live on what I will get from my company pension, if I retire in two years, to see if it's doable. At the moment I'm hoping I'll be able to swing retirement when I turn 60, BUT after around a year on my estimated retirement budget I have a feeling I'll be working a bit longer, perhaps to 62. As a Canadian I don't have to worry about medical insurance, but I've come to realize in my planning,and experience with some family members lately, that I haven't given enough thought to "surprise" expenses a illness can come with, not medical in nature. 
And don't get me started on my ever rising property taxes! 
Working a couple more years would give me that much more in savings, pension, continued access to my companies drug/dental plan and well, perhaps more peace of mind. In the mean time I'm still trying to live on my expected pension income while enjoying my life.
Speaking of....it's sunny outside and there are trays of plants that need to be planted - so that I can enjoy some fresh produce from my condo balcony in a couple months. Now that's something to look forward too.


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## ldc

*The cost of car-grade gasoline has just jumped here; was trying to figure out w/ pencil and paper how to drive less this summer!*


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## pixiedoodle

alida said:


> I've been trying to live on what I will get from my company pension, if I retire in two years, to see if it's doable. At the moment I'm hoping I'll be able to swing retirement when I turn 60, BUT after around a year on my estimated retirement budget I have a feeling I'll be working a bit longer, perhaps to 62. As a Canadian I don't have to worry about medical insurance, but I've come to realize in my planning,and experience with some family members lately, that I haven't given enough thought to "surprise" expenses a illness can come with, not medical in nature.
> And don't get me started on my ever rising property taxes!
> Working a couple more years would give me that much more in savings, pension, continued access to my companies drug/dental plan and well, perhaps more peace of mind. In the mean time I'm still trying to live on my expected pension income while enjoying my life.
> Speaking of....it's sunny outside and there are trays of plants that need to be planted - so that I can enjoy some fresh produce from my condo balcony in a couple months. Now that's something to look forward too.


keep working as long as you can &/or you are seeing a benefit in it. once retired everything still continues to climb in expenses but income does & belive me, it will change a lot from yr to yr. make it & save it while you are strong enough to work.


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## emdeengee

alida said:


> I've been trying to live on what I will get from my company pension, if I retire in two years, to see if it's doable. At the moment I'm hoping I'll be able to swing retirement when I turn 60, BUT after around a year on my estimated retirement budget I have a feeling I'll be working a bit longer, perhaps to 62. As a Canadian I don't have to worry about medical insurance, but I've come to realize in my planning,and experience with some family members lately, that I haven't given enough thought to "surprise" expenses a illness can come with, not medical in nature.
> 
> Calculating your pension income and experimenting by living on it before retirement is a brilliant idea. It is also recommended when your are planning a pregnancy (living on your maternity income) or if you are going back to school. Not only does this show you things that you may not have considered but it allows you to save even more for retirement.


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## alida

I actually got the idea from somewhere on the HT website 3-4 years ago, before I became a member. I recalled thinking that was a good idea "for the future" and now the future is closer and I decided to see if my plan was feasible. I have been learning a lot doing so which is why I'm pretty sure that I'll be better off working a couple more years. 
I've been reading threads in the retirement forum carefully for suggestions and thoughts from people who are retired. I have no debt or mortgage, which puts me ahead significantly. It's reading about the unexpected things (both good and bad) folks have had to deal with that have made me stop and think a bit. I also want to make sure that I take care of any big needed renovations before I retire.


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## alida

pixiedoodle said:


> keep working as long as you can &/or you are seeing a benefit in it. once retired everything still continues to climb in expenses but income does & belive me, it will change a lot from yr to yr. make it & save it while you are strong enough to work.


Your points are some of the things I've been discovering during this experiment Pixiedoodle which is why I'm so glad I'm doing this.


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## Pschmidt

It's a different budget cut, but still counts. Stepson decided to finance a stupid phone instead of buying a lesser one in cash, but I wasn't having the contract, if he wanted the phone on payments, he could pay it. So, he's no longer on our plan, saving us that per month. Along the same lines, we paid the last 6-month round of his vehicle insurance. And, as anyone with a teen driver knows, teenager vehicle insurance is expensive!! We told him we had that one, the next one will be up to him. I had previously planned to include that in the budget, just in case. But, as teenager's do, his father decided with some stupid decisions he's been making lately, he can cover his own insurance from now on. In effect, this has reduced our budget down about $120 monthly between his phone and car insurance. 

Now to work on electric bill. I've noticed in the next 10 days, 5 days are slated to be over 100 degrees, ouch!! With where our home is now, no shade to speak of, and we are on rural electric, which is more expensive. Am already dreading the electric bills to come this summer. If I can just persuade the dudes here that we don't have to keep the house at 72 degrees.. or use the washer/dryer as much. Man, I'm ready to move out to our land already!! So much shade and I can set up lines outside to hang clothes. Not to mention start a garden. Looks like we won't be able to consider getting moved til late August. I'm hanging in there.


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## pixiedoodle

Pschmidt said:


> It's a different budget cut, but still counts. Stepson decided to finance a stupid phone instead of buying a lesser one in cash, but I wasn't having the contract, if he wanted the phone on payments, he could pay it. So, he's no longer on our plan, saving us that per month. Along the same lines, we paid the last 6-month round of his vehicle insurance. And, as anyone with a teen driver knows, teenager vehicle insurance is expensive!! We told him we had that one, the next one will be up to him. I had previously planned to include that in the budget, just in case. But, as teenager's do, his father decided with some stupid decisions he's been making lately, he can cover his own insurance from now on. In effect, this has reduced our budget down about $120 monthly between his phone and car insurance.
> 
> Now to work on electric bill. I've noticed in the next 10 days, 5 days are slated to be over 100 degrees, ouch!! With where our home is now, no shade to speak of, and we are on rural electric, which is more expensive. Am already dreading the electric bills to come this summer. If I can just persuade the dudes here that we don't have to keep the house at 72 degrees.. or use the washer/dryer as much. Man, I'm ready to move out to our land already!! So much shade and I can set up lines outside to hang clothes. Not to mention start a garden. Looks like we won't be able to consider getting moved til late August. I'm hanging in there.


SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT THE BALL ROLLING ALREADY! AS YOU GO ALONG OTHER IDEAS WILL POP INTO YOUR MIND. EVEN IF THEY ARE SMALL CHANGES IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE & SAVE A FEW BUCKS HERE & THERE. I ALWAYS FIGURED IF I SAVE A FEW ON THIS "THING" THEN I COULD APPLY TO "THAT THING"... JUST KINDA SNOWBALLS AS ALL THE NEW CHANGES FALL INTO PLACE. I THOT OF IT AS FUN CHALLENGES & CHANGES. SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY!


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## Pschmidt

pixiedoodle said:


> SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT THE BALL ROLLING ALREADY! AS YOU GO ALONG OTHER IDEAS WILL POP INTO YOUR MIND. EVEN IF THEY ARE SMALL CHANGES IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE & SAVE A FEW BUCKS HERE & THERE. I ALWAYS FIGURED IF I SAVE A FEW ON THIS "THING" THEN I COULD APPLY TO "THAT THING"... JUST KINDA SNOWBALLS AS ALL THE NEW CHANGES FALL INTO PLACE. I THOT OF IT AS FUN CHALLENGES & CHANGES. SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY!


Of for sure!! Back in '05 I really got in to Dave Ramsey. Went nuts about cutting costs and paying down debt, but I had a blast!  Got rid of $56k in debt in 18 months. I'm one of those weird ones that actually enjoys seeing just how low I can get expenses, I love these challenges. Little here and little there really does add up. Love getting that pen and paper out and running them numbers, lol.

This morning I decided to try getting our already small cell phone bill even lower by trying out Republic Wireless. Coverage here, my husband and my phone can switch over, first month free (saving one month bill), and will save $10-$15 a month over what we are paying now, plus getting a bit of data we didn't have before.

As of now we don't have any debt to pay on, just working on the land and saving up for the move. That is, until I get out of school next year, then we will have el student loan-o, yee. But, have paid it off before (within 3 years of graduating) and know I can do it again.

Also decided to cut off the gas to the house. The furnace is the only thing that runs on gas, and since it's hot out, may as well not have the need for their service fee. Plus, we aim to move end of August and will probably go big propane tank out in the country. So, $35 refund (I had paid ahead) plus no monthly service fee, bye bye gas bill, woot!

Next up: calling the internet provider to see if I 'really' need their upgraded service for rural internet.. when I got here and told them I intended to stream tv (since I cut the cable cord years ago), they said I needed that upgraded service. However, they have since upgraded their system, I am no longer sure I need it. May save me $15 a month. 

Rolling on....


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## Wolf mom

Comcast went to $170 when my contract ran out. I didn't want to have anything to do with AT&T due to people I know complaining about their lousy customer service. Today, I bit the bullet and have Direct TV and AT&T internet. I've had satelite before, so know the drawbacks but since I'm a reader rather than TV watcher I'm OK with that. Plus I was given a $100 gift card from At&T as they didn't install the internet when promised. Plus a $350 gift card from Costco as I went through them for the service. I figure $450 will make up for any lousy service and next year's cost increase. Hope I did OK....we'll see. I'll be paying _less than half_ for internet and TV service....That's a huge win for me monthly.


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## muleskinner2

Two years ago I built a bigger pantry, eight feet by twenty feet with shelves along three walls with room for a chest freezer. We order our groceries in bulk, about every ninety days. The freezer is full of elk meat, any meat we purchase is in bulk and on sale. We buy fruit and veggies from a local u-pick farm, and can it. I buy my work clothes and winter coats, except boots from a second hand store.

I have all of the guns and ammo I could possibly use, so I don't even look at them any more. No more long trips or vacations. I can ride out my back gate and not see another human for weeks, if I want to.

Cut my herd of horses and mules down to nine. The rest will stay here until they die, or I do.

Paying off the last of our credit cards, and cut them into small pieces. If we can't pay cash for something then we don't need it.

Muleskinner2


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## Alice Kramden

Being constantly short of money, I have discovered a few ways to save a little bit on food. I spend 99% of my left over $$ on food, no luxuries right now at all. 

First. Check out your local Walmart deli for substantial markdowns on their chickens, sides, deli meats that were sliced and not claimed, cheese slices. When the deli closes down around 8 pm, they put this stuff out with the yellow markdown stickers on the package. Some of it will still be there the next morning, I am usually cruising through around 9 or 10, looking to score some markdown goodies. There is nothing wrong with it, the food is still of sound condition, it just did not sell by the end of the previous day. 

I can eat for 3 days off one rotisserie chicken. The deli meats are snacks or breakfast with eggs. Also, go over and check the bagged salads, all of 'em, the ones hanging up as well as the big containers on the lower shelf. They will get marked down within a day or two of the sell by date, and are still edible for another couple of days. 

Same with the sliced fruit cups. I've even gotten brave enough to ask the guy/lady stocking the shelves if they are going to mark anything down. One time the nice young guy marked down a couple of trays of chicken quarters for me. Another time I found fresh catfish marked down. 

Walk around and look closely at all the produce, deli, and meat. Look for the yellow stickers. I haven't bought any ground beef or steaks there, I get those at another store, but there is usually a few packages yellow tagged. 

Used to I wouldn't do this, but I've learned to not be so snooty. 

The Dollar Tree for pork skins, popcorn, and if you eat 'em, chips. I was surprised to learn that a lot of their food products are from USA producers, small guys without national exposure like Golden Flake, Lays, etc. The pork skins are almost local, being made in Tenn. They make a good snack with sour cream. Dollar Tree also has eggs. I haven't bought any there, but saw them. 8 in carton, I believe. Oh, do not buy sour cream from DT, it is not real. Fooled me, so I will let you know ahead of time. WM has a small sour cream for $1 that is real dairy. 

Carolina Pride Bacon Ends and Pieces. I can't sing the praises of this enough, it is delicious. $3.64 at the local discount Food Outlet, 32 oz package. If you are in the South you can probably find it, did I say it was tasty? Nom, nom, nom. 

Anyhow, trying to make $20 or so go as far as possible, I've learned to readjust how I look at and buy things. Look for and ask for markdowns on produce, sometimes you will score big. 

Hope this helps someone out there, wish I'd known about it sooner.


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## emdeengee

I re-did our budget using the financial figures that we know will make up our income when we retire completely. We intend to continue living on this budget until then which is already showing us any cracks in the system but also allowing us to make changes ahead of time and save even more for retirement.

One thing that is obvious is that every expense goes up no matter how frugal and economical you are. So in order not to use up the savings too quickly we have added a savings budget for inflation using the "new" money and not the previous savings. We do intend to have fun. We are putting 10% of monthly net income into this and it will be used to cover expenses that end up more than anticipated for the year. This mainly seems to be property tax, city utilities, fuel, property and vehicle insurance and groceries.

One of the things that we have noticed is just how much people eat and thus spend on groceries. We changed our eating habits years ago when I wanted to lose weight. Ate healthy home cooked meals using lots of raw and basic foods but really controlled portion sizes and eliminated nearly all the baking except for special occasions.. Just butter and sugar which is not good for anyone and what a difference it made to our grocery bill. It is surprising how many older people are overweight which is not good for old bones or hearts. Cutting back and eating right really does save a fortune. Our neighbour liked what we were doing so she did the same. Lost over 50 lbs., looked great and was able to move so much more easily and do so much more that she was almost unrecognizable. Also lowered her blood pressure which meant a lot less meds.


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## newfieannie

I've saved hundreds of dollars also since I stopped baking. all those ingredients are very expensive. I still have flour that I have to use up in bread for my son. he's not too happy but I feel so much better. good thing I kept all my clothes for years or that would have been an expense. since I wear mostly black it's still in style and I'm not much on style anyway except my own.

I do need a couple pair jeans but I can get them at SA where I buy them anyway because I like them soft. ~Georgia


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## newfieannie

I wish I could get my phone bill down but it's not possible. I pay 167 I think it is but that's my internet also and a lifeline actually and I'm not about to give it up. I don't have tv hooked up. I don't do long distance whatsoever. the only one I talk to LD is my brother and son and they call me. I have call display and that stuff which you need in this day and age with all the scamming going on

I've cut down on water bill, power, gas for house, gas for car etc. I did reinstate my health plan or I have it here to post tomorrow. as I said before it was only for going into the hospital. ambulance,PT etc etc.whatever was needed in hospital. not for being taken care of at home. I don't plan on going to a hospital and thought it was just a waste but who knows. that is 100 a month. but they keep upping it every few months. ~Georgia


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## HermitJohn

newfieannie said:


> I wish I could get my phone bill down but it's not possible. I pay 167 I think it is but that's my internet also and a lifeline actually and I'm not about to give it up. I don't have tv hooked up. I don't do long distance whatsoever. the only one I talk to LD is my brother and son and they call me. I have call display and that stuff which you need in this day and age with all the scamming going on
> 
> I've cut down on water bill, power, gas for house, gas for car etc. I did reinstate my health plan or I have it here to post tomorrow. as I said before it was only for going into the hospital. ambulance,PT etc etc.whatever was needed in hospital. not for being taken care of at home. I don't plan on going to a hospital and thought it was just a waste but who knows. that is 100 a month. but they keep upping it every few months. ~Georgia


No idea of your options in Canada. My basic landline service got upto $30 a month. Dialup internet had become pointless and they didnt offer DSL on lines going down my county road. So dropped it and went to PuretalkUSA. Its a pay as you go cell company that resells ATT network access. I first had their $5 a month service but minutes didnt carry over, use them or lose them. So upgraded to their $10 a month service which did rollover unused minutes. I cant even remember how many minutes that buys per month, since I now have such a mountain of rolled over minutes I could talk a month straight without running out. You can buy extra minutes if you do run out early. 

This wasnt any govt program or anything, just a regular retail option if you look for it. I am grandfathered in at $10 a month but they raised price for same service to $15 a month sometime back for new customers. Anyway biggest bang for the buck I found. I rarely use phone after my ex died so its mostly just emergency lifeline anymore. They are very expensive for data and I dont have smart phone so no reason to buy data from them. 

For internet I have two cell hotspot gadgets, one StraightTalk (Verizon) and other Net10 (ATT). They set it up so when you run out data you are dead in water, thus reason I have two. One runs out, I can use the other, leap frogging, so one month one, the next month the other. Data costs me around $40 a month, thats for 4GB. This is metered data so means no video which eats data like no tomorrow. Probably for the best, if I had unlimited, would be on youtube all time watching doityourself videos and cat videos....

Like say there arent lot internet options for me. No cable or DSL. I have available dialup which is pointless, satellite which is expensive for equipment, and cell which is doing the job long as I dont watch videos and also block ads and other nonsense that eats data.


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## newfieannie

to tell you the truth I don't know my options either. I did call bellaliant one time and he kept talking trying to get me to take this and that. nothing at all to do with what I wanted. so I hung up. I will look into it. my son pays a lot less than I do but he hasn't got internet

so sorry HJ. I did hear you mention your ex once in a while but not where you said she passed. all the best. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy

Georgia, since your phone and internet are on the same bill, find out *specifically* what amount of data you're using for your internet. I'm betting THEY know what you're using!

Our phone company reports on the bill the amount of internet usage each month. I find I am paying for MUCH more than I'm using...unfortunately, it's their lowest rate plan 

Makes it handy for me to know, because I can pick my NEW provider with that in mind. I use 20-22 GB each month.

Mon


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## emdeengee

Our "communication" bill is $160 per month but that includes internet, Cable TV, land-line phone and long distance. We pay $63 for more TV than we need but it is available in any room in the house and with 8 months of winter we are not ready to give it up . Satellite costs the same and is unreliable. We pay $42 for the internet. Basically good service except when the entire system goes down which happens at least twice a year. We pay $42 per month for the landline phone but because of our isolation we actually pay extra to provide phone service to the really isolated places plus $10 a month for long distance - any amount of time, anywhere, anytime in Canada. My best friend and I have actually watched a TV show together over the phone, de-cluttered her house (goes so much faster when you have someone to talk to) and stayed up all night talking when her son and 3 year old granddaughter were killed by a doped up drunk 18 year old in Texas. 

Lifeline is $20 a month but I don`t have it yet.

We think we pay a lot and we do because there is no competition up here - only one provider who owns all the lines and has successfully lobbied the CRTC to make other providers pay for the use of their lines which no one wants to do. But Georgia - if you have no TV included then you are paying much more than we are.


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## newfieannie

I'd better check it out. someone said they might be charging me for tv although I don't have it but Andrew and I didn't have tv from them anyway we had satellite from Shaw direct.which we paid 160 a month before I cancelled when my friend with dementia kept destroying wires and whatnot and I had to pay a 100 each service call to fix it. I figure it's because I have call display and answering service etc.


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## newfieannie

ok this is my phone bill bundles: local bundles. 69.00 bundle 67.50 hst 27.50. local bundle includes. home ph service,voicemail,call display,call screen, delux visual call waiting,3 way calling. I don't even know what half of that is. bundle includes high speed. all day long distance plan. does that mean on my phone or email. I don't have long distance on my phone. that's what I was calling them for when I had to hang up. ~Georgia


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## emdeengee

You definitely need to find out exactly what the charges cover. Your bill will be higher with the HST - we don't have HST or PST just GST so only 5% tax.

We don't have call display or call waiting - decided against them because of the cost. Cannot remember how much it was as this was a few years ago but know that we thought it was too much. Got an answering machine instead and it has worked as well as call display since we never answer it until we know who is calling. This really frustrates phone sellers and they always hang up. We don't need call waiting as the only person I talk to for a long time on the phone is my best friend and she has a cell phone as well. If my husband needs to get a hold of me he calls her cell and tells her to tell me to call him.


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## HermitJohn

newfieannie said:


> so sorry HJ. I did hear you mention your ex once in a while but not where you said she passed. all the best. ~Georgia


That was like three years ago. Her Taurus got t-boned by full size chevy pickup driven by two teenagers. They were hurt but survived, she died. We had divorced in 94 but remained friends and stayed in contact.


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## HermitJohn

emdeengee said:


> You definitely need to find out exactly what the charges cover. Your bill will be higher with the HST - we don't have HST or PST just GST so only 5% tax.
> 
> We don't have call display or call waiting - decided against them because of the cost. Cannot remember how much it was as this was a few years ago but know that we thought it was too much. Got an answering machine instead and it has worked as well as call display since we never answer it until we know who is calling. This really frustrates phone sellers and they always hang up. We don't need call waiting as the only person I talk to for a long time on the phone is my best friend and she has a cell phone as well. If my husband needs to get a hold of me he calls her cell and tells her to tell me to call him.


You get real live people calling? Last I had landline, I got robocall salespitches. They just kept on and on until finished, didnt matter if you hung up or not, they tied up the line finishing their spiel. Pick up phone to make a call and if they werent finished, you just had to wait. And when I had answering machine they just recorded their sales pitch, filling up the machine. Also if I didnt remember to unhook phone cord to answering machine in storm, lightening tended to fry the answering machines. So went to free voicemail service where caller had to use a code to leave a message. It would email me with recording of the message attached. Course that service then went out buisiness cause cell phones come with voicemail usually, though the cell voicemail didnt email me, would only know if I called and checked my voicemail manually which I never did. They forced me to set up a voicemail account, but I never used it and havent slightest notion what my password is anymore.


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## roadless

My hotspot costs 50 a month and my old flip phone is 30, no internet on phone.
I don't have cable, I bought a window antenna for about $60 and depending on the weather I can get about 11 stations.
I rarely buy anything new.
I bought a very small home that was a foreclosure, which took most of my savings, but its awesome to own it outright. I am fixing it up as I live here, trying to do much of the work myself.
I applied for the Homestead Act, and was accepted, so I don't have to pay local school taxes. 
I drive a 2000 Honda Civic , which I bought used 4 years ago from an elderly woman, it had 26k miles!
I rarely go out to eat, and most of my food comes from Aldi and farmers markets .
The dollar store is great for paper products and personal care items.
That's all can think of for now...I like this thread, I'm always looking for other ways to save.


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## Alice Kramden

Good going, guys (and guyettes). One thing I forgot to mention, check for Senior Discount rates on your utilities. There might be some sort of break on one that you qualify for. 

Reading through the City Ordinances where I live, I found a delightful little gem in the Water Rates. My income level and age qualified me for a significant rate reduction on my water. I asked about it the next time I went in to pay the water bill...the ladies were THRILLED to sign me up, saying they wish more people knew about it to take advantage of it. My water costs me 10.00 now. 

Look around, ask questions, read the fine print on everything. Always ask for a discount, it won't hurt, and you might score a real winner.


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## roadless

Good tip Alice! In my area there is also a discount for trash removal after a certain age...I'm not quite there..yet.


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## newfieannie

I got an answering machine through bell aliant I guess. there must be something I don't know about. i'll ask my son. he has one. I thought it was the same. and whats this 3way calling. I've never used that. perhaps we are forced to take it. i'll have to check things out better. i'll call them when I get back from shopping tomorrow .Thursday is sale day. I don't need anything except avocado but if it's a good sale i'll buy~Georgia


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## Myrth

roadless said:


> Good tip Alice! In my area there is also a discount for trash removal after a certain age...I'm not quite there..yet.


Wow, nice! I don’t think any waste haulers in our area offer discounts for age. But we should do more to ask about discounts, for sure.


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## newfieannie

no discounts for that here either. we pay it with our taxes. recycle ,refuse, street lights etc.etc. ~Georgia


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## newfieannie

I told my son about the phone. he has his own answering machine. I ask him why he didn't say so when I was complaining about the phone bill. he didn't know what I had. so I guess he'll pick one up for me. then i'll cancel what I can. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy

Georgia, three way calling is so you can talk to three people at once. You probably don't need that!

I have an answering machine that I've used (and loved) for years. I have it set at 2 rings, and the message for 1 minute, so no one can go on and on. Usually, telemarketers hang up. It displays the number calling, or the person's name if I have one assigned to it...no idea if it has call waiting, but if they want to talk to me, they can call back. Oh, and it has call blocking.

I think you're paying for more than a few things that you don't need.

All that said, it takes me long enough to get to the phone that I just call people back anyway if I see they've called, or left a message.

Mon


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## newfieannie

sounds like what I need to get alright Mon! my son said he knows where it is so i'll let him pick it up. he'll have to show me how to work it anyway.


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## Alice Kramden

Phones and phone plans have gotten so confusing and aggravating. I am on a family member's plan, he provides me with a phone, I pay him $35 a month. He deals with Sprint. I hardly ever use the thing, mostly to text what few people I talk to. No limits, and it has internet access if I could see the little tiny screen. (It is a flip phone, sort of outdated now, but sufficient for my needs.)

Roger on the senior discount for garbage pickup, that is combined on our City water bill, and I got that discounted, also. It helps a lot. 

Lordy, I just wish grocery prices would come down. Even a little bit.


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## AmericanStand

Myrth said:


> Wow, nice! I don’t think any waste haulers in our area offer discounts for age. But we should do more to ask about discounts, for sure.


Ive ran a waste hauling operation in central Il for years. We never OFFERED a senior discount but we did give them from time to time when asked.
As a point of reference most of the cost of providing service is the stop not the amount of waste disposed.


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## vickinell

My garbage pick up started out with a senior discount, but a new owner took over, and next month the price is going to be higher. They sent me a notice telling me this but not the amount it will now be, which ticks me off, because I will have to call.
I had been pleased with their service in the past. They were garbage pick up and recycle. I called to see if they would pick up old televisions and they said yes, for a fee, I had several picked up and my bill was never higher.

My old Kia Rio had almost 200,000 miles on it and the air and heat broke during our last cold spell. The heat was killing me and I did not trust the dealership I bought my car from because they kept repairing things that did not fix the problem and I would have to take it somewhere else. So I got a newer car. Now I am going to have to cut a lot of things to make payments and higher car insurance.

I am going to switch from AT&T to cricket and cut off my cable. I bought a hoku months back but have not figured out how to use it yet. I got a 100$ one but see 30$ ones offered and wondered if they work. I would get the less expensive ones to put in guest room and living room. My grandkids will help me during summer break to set them up.

Are any of you familiar with Hoku and Cricket to give me advice?


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## Myrth

vickinell said:


> My garbage pick up started out with a senior discount, but a new owner took over, and next month the price is going to be higher. They sent me a notice telling me this but not the amount it will now be, which ticks me off, because I will have to call.
> I had been pleased with their service in the past. They were garbage pick up and recycle. I called to see if they would pick up old televisions and they said yes, for a fee, I had several picked up and my bill was never higher.
> 
> My old Kia Rio had almost 200,000 miles on it and the air and heat broke during our last cold spell. The heat was killing me and I did not trust the dealership I bought my car from because they kept repairing things that did not fix the problem and I would have to take it somewhere else. So I got a newer car. Now I am going to have to cut a lot of things to make payments and higher car insurance.
> 
> I am going to switch from AT&T to cricket and cut off my cable. I bought a hoku months back but have not figured out how to use it yet. I got a 100$ one but see 30$ ones offered and wondered if they work. I would get the less expensive ones to put in guest room and living room. My grandkids will help me during summer break to set them up.
> 
> Are any of you familiar with Hoku and Cricket to give me advice?


I can’t help on Hoku. But I have used Cricket for several years. It is the AT&T network, but their lower cost plans. I am satisfied with their service. I will say that although Mexico and Canada are included, there is no compatibile cellular service in the Yukon Territories, so you phone will be worthless to you if you travel there. Everywhere else I have traveled with mine has been OK. We have 2 phones on the plan and it saved us quite a bit when we switched from another network. You buy your phone up front with Cricket, rather than getting it “free” for a much higher monthly bill.


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## Clem

Do you mean Roku? I have one,


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## vickinell

Yes, I meant Roku.


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## Clem

OK, Roku is a box that connects to your TV, and gets a signal from your router. You definitely need broadband, 1.5 MBPS for standard definition content, 3.0 MBPS for HD. 

I got the box, plugged it in. They want a credit card number, but they don't use it unless you go to a pay channel. I put in the card number, and soon as I was straightened away with them, removed it. There are a lot of pay channels, too. 

So, you get a huge list, from their website, of channels. Thousands of them. Some are pretty goofy, but that's OK. Most everything seems to be on demand, as opposed to live TV.


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## Alice Kramden

I, for one, am glad to have Roku finally explained, especially in a way I can understand it. Thanks! Now, it is pronounced "rock you" or "row que" ? I tend to "southernize" everything until I hear it pronounced, but do not want to appear ignorant.

Oh, I can't get it 'cuz I don't have credit cards or a router, but have always been curious about it.


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## vickinell

Thank you, Clem, I have Spectrum internet.


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## TheMartianChick

Alice Kramden said:


> I, for one, am glad to have Roku finally explained, especially in a way I can understand it. Thanks! Now, it is pronounced "rock you" or "row que" ? I tend to "southernize" everything until I hear it pronounced, but do not want to appear ignorant.
> 
> Oh, I can't get it 'cuz I don't have credit cards or a router, but have always been curious about it.


It is pronounced Roe - Coo.

We have a few different ones in our homes. If you have an older model tv (the ones with the big bulge on the back) then you will want to order the one called the Roku Express. It has the older-style cord to hook it up to an older-style tv. If you ever upgrade to a newer tv, you can still use that device as it also comes with the HDMI connecting cord that works with newer tvs. All of the other types of ROKU devices are designed to work with newer tvs.

Sometimes, you don't have to invest in a Roku device to get the same benefits. One tv in our condo has built-in apps because it is fairly new and it allows us to access Netflix, Hulu, etc... In another room, we have a Blu-Ray player that has the same types of apps built-in. As a result, we didn't have to buy any extra devices.

If you don't have a router, how do you access the internet? It might be possible to get access to some of the same apps that are available through Roku on a cell phone (like Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, etc...) Of course, services like those sometimes require a fee.


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## TheMartianChick

vickinell said:


> Thank you, Clem, I have Spectrum internet.


Spectrum offers a few different internet speeds. You may find that you need to signup for one that provides greater speed, especially if more than 2 devices will be utilized at the same time.


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## Alice Kramden

Hey, thanks for the explanation. I don't have a television. Got rid of that thing in 2005. Don't have a router, just a modem. No wireless anything here. I was just curious about it. Have seen people talking about this stuff and wondered what it was. Now I know, haha. Thanks!


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## vickinell

I have 3 televisions and 2 Blu Ray players and 1 DVD player. On the Blu Ray players, I can watch Netflix at the same time, would that mean my internet connection would support 2 RoKu players at the same time? Thank you for your help.


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## HermitJohn

Well for those of us with metered data where it would cost $20 to stream a movie.... 

I will mention free Kindle books. I signed up for Freebooksy.com get daily email of free books mostly Kindle but some in other formats. Their choice of what they consider best. MOST of these are older ones offered free by author to either get you to buy that whole series or others by that author. Some are specifially written as come-ons, just short cliffhangers... I suggest ignoring any less than 200 pages as most likely just come-ons. They are free and you dont have to buy anything. Many are free only for that day or possibly few days. And if you get one you dont like, delete it and move on, you have nothing but bit time invested. Only once did I buy next in series and that was whopping 99cents. Yes when you find a good one you might be tempted but remember, there are always more good FREE ones out there by other authors. So you can do just free books forever. Always more.

Instead of signing up you can just go to Freebooksy website and look there. If you sign up you get the freebie book email but they also send you email with "cheap" books. Not a biggie. I tried filtering my email to ditch the cheap book thing, but so far havent found something filter can look for to tell difference between it and the freebie list.

By way keeping in spirit of free, I use the free Kindle app for desktop. Its made for windows, but since I rarely use windows computer I messed until I got it working using WINE on linux. WINE lets some windows programs run in linux. It just usually takes lot tinkering. For me found portable version of WINE plus older Kindle version worked best. What I found interesting with this setup is that I can just copy it to another computer and run it without registering that computer with my Kindle account. Install it on a new windows computer and you have to jump hoops so Kindle account recognizes that computer. I guess Kindle thinks that portable WINE is the computer?


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## muleskinner2

I have cut out sex, that $10.00 a pop is just too much. Now I have that extra $20.00 a year to just blow on what ever I want.


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## frogmammy

Go ahead and brag! Due to the loss of $20 a year I had to apply for food stamps, section 8 housing, a free telephone, and medicade.

Of course, I am saving two forever stamps a year now.

Mon


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## HermitJohn

muleskinner2 said:


> I have cut out sex, that $10.00 a pop is just too much. Now I have that extra $20.00 a year to just blow on what ever I want.


And think of those two little blue pills you didnt have to buy!


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## pixiedoodle

we have decided to eat out at our fav.Village Inn only once a month . if we want fast food we go to bk with a coupon & both get burger & fries, a "senior" drink for 40 cents & a dollar ice cream c & one total is still $5. or less for both of us. plenty filling & gets us out of the house..


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## vickinell

I am finally using my RoKu. I can turn in my cable box. In my bedroom I now just use one remote to watch TV, Netflix, YouTube, and can switch each with voice control.


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## Oregon1986

muleskinner2 said:


> I have cut out sex, that $10.00 a pop is just too much. Now I have that extra $20.00 a year to just blow on what ever I want.


Omg that is hilarious


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## ladytoysdream

Not sure anymore what a budget is. 
Currently dealing with a hot water tank that the bottom is leaking. 
As old as the house. A doublewide 28 years old, that we bought new. 
So I do have a cushion but don't want to use it. 
Trying to take advantage of a local program that helps with energy savings. 
They hopefully will foot the bill for the heater and the installation. 
But not a ordinary swap out. We have a outside wood boiler that is hooked 
to the hot water heater. So a more complicated system. 
Insurance will pay for water damage to that room, the rug, the walls, 
the underbelly of the house, and the personal inventory. 
They will not pay for the tank or the installation. So had to shut water 
off to the main house due to lack of a shut off valve for the heater. A friend 
came up last night and put a shut off in the line, so we could get water back on, in the 
main house. Can't get the service tech out here till next Wednesday. It was Sunday 
when I found the problem. SO that means 11 days with no hot water. And the hubby 
is not taking kindly to not being able to take a hot shower. 
So moral of this story is, to have something of a cushion for emergencies. 
And lots of patience while waiting for paperwork to go through.


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## Alice Kramden

Heat several pots of water on the stove. Enough for at least two five gallon buckets. Pour the hot water into the buckets which are sitting in the bathtub. Mix in some cold until you have it the temp you like. Stand in the tub and pour the water over you with a small pan, pot, plastic butter tub, whatever. Get wet, soap up and scrub, then rinse off. You'll be just as clean. This is what I do. I haven't had a water heater in years.


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## newfieannie

I did that for several winters when the water froze and also had to drag the water from the well. did the same for washing. I heat the water same way now when I'm out at my camper. it does have a water heater but I haven't used it yet. I still saved all my old pots and I heat the water outside on the campstove. ~Georgia


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## HermitJohn

newfieannie said:


> I did that for several winters when the water froze and also had to drag the water from the well. did the same for washing. I heat the water same way now when I'm out at my camper. it does have a water heater but I haven't used it yet. I still saved all my old pots and I heat the water outside on the campstove. ~Georgia


I have intended for several years setting up outdoor shower with water heated by wood like I had when I lived in Michigan decades ago. It takes 45min to hour to heat 25gallon that way. I described it in detail in a post in one of other forums not that long ago. Probably the Homesteading Forum, but dont remember. 

But basically tank was old 30 gallon electric water heater tank stripped to bare tank and the leaky bottom cut off. Then inverted with legs welded on to hold it foot and half or so off ground. The former top in other words is the new bottom. Iron pipe from threaded hole in bottom to a pump (salvaged off old washing machine) driven by a salvaged lawn mower engine. From pump, hose ending in the nozzle made from rinse hose out of kitchen sink. And crude shower stall from cedar poles and wood slats. Worked amazingly well. If not obvious, I built fire on ground under tank, sometimes using some tin as shield from wind.

I have used plumbed showers in motels and houses that werent nearly as nice. Sure it could be improved for long term use. Doing it over I would have put real shower cabinet in corner of house (with drain) and ran the spray hose inside. Made it lot more comfortable in cold weather, though that hot water keeps you warm while showering even with snow on ground.


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## ladytoysdream

Okay, looking for more frugal ideas here.........

Getting ready to go into the new year. Thinking of the budget. I still see the need for a decent cushion.
This is what works for us. We have his money, her money, and the budget money. Budget money is our SS
and that is for the household bills. His money is his part time summer job. And her money is from selling
a few things now and then, which is getting less and less a option.

Working on getting a freezer empty. Not trusting it because of it's age and may need to replace it or maybe not.
Just trying to get and keep a plan in place. 

Going to make a list and see how good we can stick to it. Which also has to include things like taking
the dog to the vet when he needs to go. It's those not everyday things that can trip you up.


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## mekasmom

Clem said:


> OK, Roku is a box that connects to your TV....
> 
> I got the box, plugged it in. They want a credit card number, but they don't use it unless you go to a pay channel. I put in the card number, and soon as I was straightened away with them, removed it.


We use a prepaid CC with very little money on it. We never give out "real" CC for anything like that. We had a bad experience once where the CC company refused to cancel bill. when somebody stole money from us for jeans and a taco bell bill.


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## vickinell

I really enjoy mu roku. I am fixing to cut my spectrum subscription. I was waiting for Survivor to end. My granddaughter says I could stream it, but I don't have a clue how to do that.

I love watching YouTube.


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## In The Woods

ladytoysdream said:


> Okay, looking for more frugal ideas here.........
> 
> Getting ready to go into the new year. Thinking of the budget. I still see the need for a decent cushion.
> This is what works for us. We have his money, her money, and the budget money. Budget money is our SS
> and that is for the household bills. His money is his part time summer job. And her money is from selling
> a few things now and then, which is getting less and less a option.
> 
> Working on getting a freezer empty. Not trusting it because of it's age and may need to replace it or maybe not.
> Just trying to get and keep a plan in place.
> 
> Going to make a list and see how good we can stick to it. Which also has to include things like taking
> the dog to the vet when he needs to go. It's those not everyday things that can trip you up.


It has taken me years to get my budget right. Like you say - vet visits, vehicle service, and stuff like that is easy to miss. I now have everything that is monthly, quarterly, and even annually on one sheet of paper. I have everything listed under what months they will come due.

My income has been our only household income for over 10 years. For the past 5 years it is now just my SS. Makes it tough. I write out a monthly budget at the beginning of each month and just follow it. Unfortunately the groceries were always at the end of the list - whatever was left went for the grocery budget. But I was able to change that this month as we FINALLY paid off our mortgage! I keep thinking something is wrong with my budget - I've gone over it at least 4 times because I keep thinking I am missing something. Well I am - the mortgage payment!


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## newfieannie

happy for you ITW. you'll find quite a difference now. ~Georgia


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## alida

Congratulations on becoming mortgage free - it is a very liberating feeling to know that you have "extra" money now.


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## ed/La

I stopped eating at restaurants, going to ball games and recreation driving around. Somedays I just stay home so I will not spend a dime. If I want to socialize at pub it cost me $6 for fuel before I buy 1st beer. Throw in tip that's $20 in no time. Have to get out now and then but keep it to a minimum. I enjoy cooking and gardening, catch plenty of fish. That all helps keeping me busy and saves money.


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## emdeengee

In The Woods said:


> It has taken me years to get my budget right. Like you say - vet visits, vehicle service, and stuff like that is easy to miss. I now have everything that is monthly, quarterly, and even annually on one sheet of paper. I have everything listed under what months they will come due.
> 
> My income has been our only household income for over 10 years. For the past 5 years it is now just my SS. Makes it tough. I write out a monthly budget at the beginning of each month and just follow it. Unfortunately the groceries were always at the end of the list - whatever was left went for the grocery budget. But I was able to change that this month as we FINALLY paid off our mortgage! I keep thinking something is wrong with my budget - I've gone over it at least 4 times because I keep thinking I am missing something. Well I am - the mortgage payment!



We paid off our mortgage last year as we wanted to enter our full retirement with no debts at all. It has been hard work. 

For the first couple of months I too kept looking for what I missed as there was so much money left over. And then of course the light bulb would go off! We decided to take some of this extra money and increase different budget amounts including groceries. We increased the "inflation budget" which is money we just set aside to keep up with inflation - now at 12% of our expenses. The remainder went into long term savings and it is quite shocking to see it increase so rapidly. Well, mortgages are expensive.


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## gilberte

Better make sure to set enough aside for the tax man. Property taxes in some areas are increasing at a frightening rate.


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## anniew

Regarding property taxes...some states have reduced taxes in the form of "clean and green", homestead and farmstead discounts, or just age related discounts. They can add up to a good reduction.


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## newfieannie

I'm watching every penny now also. income tax and house tax comes up in march or april. I must say I never have had a mortgage. course all I had to began with was a mobile on a few acres and I was able to pay cash for that. ~Georgia


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## ridgerunner1965

getting debt free is really the key. being in a low property tax area is another.my prop tax for 40 acres, house and vehicles is less than 800$ a year. not cheap I know but manageable.

food is mostly free, tons of venison roaming around and small game. garden stuff that can be canned or frozen.

being healthy is the biggest key


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## vickinell

My property tax was almost 5000 for 40.3 acres. I don't live on it so no homestead or over 65 discount. On my home that is homestead and my senior discount was 1444. 

If I don't sell my property I can not retire because of the taxes. I am going to check into how much it would cost to set up a trailer park so I could earn money for the taxes.


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## mzgarden

@mekasmom - on your prepaid CC - what's it cost to reload cash on it? When I was looking, I found ones that cost too much (for me) to reload.


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## lmrose

I keep track of all our spending and thought I was doing pretty good until I started adding the numbers up for the year. I shop fall and spring for the basics to avoid going to town in the winter and am too busy in the Spring. What I discovered is when we went to town for gas or the odd thing Bill needs to work with we would stop at a grocery store for bananas, frozen yogurt and fish.

I went through the months and added up bananas at an average of $3 a bunch x 48 a year came to $136 yearly! Frozen haddock at an average of $5 for haddock bits which is enough for a meal once a week cost us last year $260. Frozen yogurt which my husband loves and I find hard to resist has a sale price of $5 for a container holding the equivalent of a little less than two US quarts. We started having it for dessert and went through one a week. Not on sale it can cost up to $6.99 or more. I only bought it at sale price. That was another $260 a year! All total $656. for the year on three items! 

Well; that has stopped ! I have fish in the freezer to last until Spring then we are getting a fishing license and going fishing! No more bananas as they come here green and the last ones were hard and not good. No more frozen yogurt unless we have an occasional cone while in town in the summer. I had gotten lazy but know how to make blender ice cream with canned milk, frozen berries and honey. I definitely won't be doing that everyday either.

Apples are one thing we will still buy because they are so nutritious . We paid $4.70 for a bag with eight apples in it. Fall we usually pick wild apples but this fall the deer got them before we did. Those I make apple sauce from. Organic apples are double the price. 

Another way we are cutting back is on electric. For years on the farm we paid just a bit above what the minimum bill is if you have power and never use it. Our bill averaged $26 every two months including 15 % tax.. We had lights, freezer, fridg, radio and not much else. We got spoiled and the power company was always questioning why the bill was so low! Last winter 2016-2017 we lived in an apartment n town. We had hot water, lights, computer, electric stove, fridg and freezer. 

The first power bill for two months was $140 and the next one was $117. The third one was $97 ! After the first shocking bill we had the landlord turn the 40 gallon water heater down to 120 F from 140 F. I started baking once every two weeks and did the rest of the cooking in slow cookers. We didn't use the computer as much or turn on lights daytimes. Everything but the freezer and fridge was on a power bar and off when not being used. I had the landlord remove the full size fridge and I started using my counter top small fridge. 

At our house trailer I have the counter top fridge, the three small freezers, hot water, lights, computer, electric pump for the well and a heat-pump to supplement the wood stove in the basement. I cook in slow cookers but have a two burner hot plate if I need to boil or fry something. Baking is done in a toaster oven that holds a twelve inch pan. I take a whole day every two weeks baking and freeze everything. Everything is unplugged when not in use.

Our first full power bill for two months was $117. The second one using the heat pump starting in Oct was $199. ! So I set the hot water heater down to 120 F, keep lights off day times unless it is over cast making it dark inside. The heat pump I leave set at 21 C which is about 72 F. But it never feels that warm because we are losing heat because of drafts. I covered the old windows with plastic and we have put weather stripping around doors. The wood stove in the basement has a pipe vented upstairs. The wood stove heats half the trailer and the heat pump the half with the living room and kitchen. We will see if the power bill goes down when it comes at the end of January. 

Only having four hens now and no goats and no dog is saving a lot in animal feed bills. Four hens don't cost much to feed and give us enough eggs to cook with and eat. Our cat doesn't cost much to feed but I spend $15 a month for herbal pills to prevent urinary tract infection that he is prone too. That $15 is a lot less expensive that taking him to a vet and paying the hundreds that it cost here. The herbal pills work most of the time. I buy Vet's Best for urinary tract problems. He still has an occasional problem so I give him 1/4 of a 300 gram vitamin C pill for 10 days. Then he may go six months or a year before it happens again. We don't plan to get another dog at our age either. I'm afraid the dog could outlive us! The cat is about 10 years old so will probably be our last one too. Our last cats lived to 19 1/2 and 17 years on the farm.

We don't travel much and our car insurance has gone down the last three years. We were paying more for insurance than what the car cost at first because Bill didn't own a car for 17 yrs. We will find out soon if it goes down again this year. He is 74 yrs. March 9th and so far has had a perfect driving record his entire life which also discounts his car insurance.

Every bit of saving helps as there are plenty of places money needs to be used. For me it is a challenge to live well with the least money possible. Simply because as we have seen lately with partial government shut downs pay checks can't be counted on.This can happen in any country and has in the recent past. Here today and gone tomorrow so I plan for the worse and hope for the best..


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## pixiedoodle

WE KEEP THE THERMOSTAT ON 68 & FREEZE IN THIS OLD RANCH HOUE. WE HAD INSULATION BLOWN INTO THE WALLS & REPLACED ALL THE WINDOWS & A NEW ROOF. SOME OF THE ATTIC IS INSULATED BUT OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH OF IT. IT IS COLD IN THIS OLD RANH HOUSE . WE ALSO REPLACED THE PATIO DOOR BUT THE DOOR OUT TO THE GARAGE & THE FRONT DOOR SURE NEED TO BE REPLACED TOO. IT IS NEVER ENDING. GOT NOW FURNACE & AC AS WLL BUT WE JUST FRZ IN HERE. MAYBE WE NEED TO INSULATE THE SMALL BASEMENT WINDOWS ALTHO WE DO HAVE PLASTIC COVERING THEM..OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH.


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## #1 WV BonBonQueen

newfieannie said:


> I'm watching every penny now also. income tax and house tax comes up in march or april. I must say I never have had a mortgage. course all I had to began with was a mobile on a few acres and I was able to pay cash for that. ~Georgia


You say "all you had to begin with..." but it sure was nice for you, to not have that mortgage, and all that entails, wasn't it? We have a mobile home, a 1972 one to be exact, but it has been paid for since we had it moved in to replace the newer one that was here, and since we don't owe anyone for it, we never had to have any insurance on it, so that made it doubly nice for us. Hubby was working at that time, but we were happy to have a bit bigger and nicer mobile home, to replace the other one. That meant a lot to us. As we have aged and so many of our friends have bought and sold their houses, over and over again, we look around at our place, 25 acres and our mobile home sits in the middle of it, and we are very content. We have a few neighbors, but I really don't even know their names, I am a hermit by nature and Hubby is happy with that attitude. 
We only owe for a Motorhome that Hubby had to have when he started receiving his Social Security so if and when the SHTF we don't owe on anything that we would miss if we can't keep making the payments. All of our vehicles were paid off a few years back if we owed anything on them, most of them were paid for when we bought them, got us a better deal that way too. lol So, having a paid for place to live is a great thing, no matter if it is a house, a boat, a mobile home, paid for makes a big difference, when you are looking to live within your means!!! jmho


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## #1 WV BonBonQueen

I too watch our electric and our natural gas bills closely. I keep them both or try to keep them both below an average of $50.00 a month. I do adjust our budget every so often, but it hasn't changed much, in the last 10 yrs so it is working very well. 
Now, if I could get Hubby to stop wanting another vehicle, that would be so nice for our budget. Buying the items, not the problem, but when you buy another vehicle, that vehicle must be added to our auto insurance policy, and with just two of us driving them, they sit a lot more than they go, we don't travel much, not even in the summer. We are within 12 miles of the largest store in our area, Wally World and if we have to go to the store it is usually there. But, we don't need to go often as I work hard at stocking up on necessities and when we go, it is out of boredom not necessity. 
We get 2 pension checks a month, from Hubby working in the coal mines.
We get 2 Social Security checks from his working in the coal mines too. I get one, his is 1 1/2 the amount of mine. I never worked outside the home. 
We are really fairly well set, but we don't live beyond our means, and have no one to leave anything to, no children, nieces wouldn't want what we have because they are too much into city life, not country living. lol 
But we still watch our pennies, and if we don't need it we try hard not to buy it, unless it is another vehicle, now that is where we seem to have a problem. Any suggestions on how to break that habit???


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## emdeengee

Yesterday we got two or our pension cheques. As usual the first cheque of the year includes the cost of living increase. This year the total increase for two pensions is $20 ($240 a year). Nothing to sneer at but also gone before it even has time to settle into our account. At the beginning of the year we also always get notices of increases for many budget items. So far $12 a month for sewer and water and $3 a month for garbage, $15 a month for property tax and $2 a month for phone. 

The pension increase will offset some of the increases but not all which is one of the reasons we have a budget category into which we put 10% of our monthly expenses. This is just a way to cushion any changes - many of which do not appear until later in the year. Groceries, gasoline and electricity being the hardest to keep ahead of.


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## emdeengee

I did an cost analysis of our household and grocery spending comparing 2018 to just the first two months of 2019. Pensions never go up to cover increases so you still have to save or you fall behind and in just a couple of years it can add up to a lot. And you can only cut out so much before there is nothing left to cut.

Our budget includes savings to shore up our expenses because of inflation. We have put 10% of the full net income aside but this may have to go up. So far increases per month have been

Telephone $2 $24 yr
Internet $3 $36 yr
Sewer Water $12 $144 yr
Garbage/compost $3 $36 yr
Property Tax $15 $180 yr (lowest increase ever and also including the age 65 grant for the first time)
House Insurance $5 $60 yr
Electricity $19 (winter) $152 yr

Some grocery products have really increased (sale prices) 
canned salmon $3.49 was $2.99 adds $26 yr
butter $4.49 was $3.99 adds $12 yr
toilet paper 21.99 for 36 2 ply rolls. was $12.99 adds $54 yr

so far an increase of $724 a year. Gas and heating fuel have stayed the same price per liter as last year.


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## newfieannie

I just got my gas bill. I saved 50dollars. last month was the highest it's ever been 328 or so. I decided to turn down the thermostat a notch or 2 and put on a sweater. I always wear wool socks around the house anyway. I've been plenty warm enough. I'm going to try for another 50 this month or at least 25.

there are ways we can save at least for me if I pay attention to what I'm doing. I woke up this morning around 4 and I was sweltering. couldn't understand it. found the thermostat in the kitchen hadn't been turned down still on 70. I got her set to come in at night at 62 but I overrode it last night and forgot.

another thing I'm going to save on is those chowder lunches and teas I go to. between 10 and 15 dollars and I don't like their chowder anyway. not a patch on what I can make and the afternoon teas I don't eat sweets anymore or bread so why bother.

I already saved 30 dollars a month this year when I got tv back again. (I still haven't figured that one out) I turn out all lights at night except the one down here in the computer room.my neighbor said from outside you wouldn't know there was a light on here. I got night lights everywhere though i guess they can't be seen. not sure if that saves much on power.

I don't know how people are affording all electric house around here this winter with the cold weather we've had. my son's friend had to pay 1500 I think it was last month. you want to be making good money for that and he's not. i'll start thinking a bit and see what else I can save on. Mar. is going to be a heavy month for me anyway what with house taxes, income tax, new carpet, closet doors etc. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy

Georgia, replace all your lights with LED's, will help reduce electric costs.

Mon


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## emdeengee

Many seniors do not know what discounts are available to them from government agencies in their area. And it seems as if there is not much publicity out there, almost as if they want to keep things secret. It is worth the trouble to inquire. Senior centers can be very helpful.

Where we live there is a reduction for 65 and over for property tax, a reduction for city utilities (water, sewer, garbage), a rebate for heating costs and a rebate for electricity. Many stores give a 10% senior discount - sometimes on specific days. They never ask to see proof of age and this can save a lot over the year if you still watch what you buy (sales and compare prices).

It is amazing how much you can save on heating by turning down the thermostat just two degrees and bundling up in sweaters and blankets. We only ever have one light on in a room and that is plenty of illumination except for specific fine work. LEDs are expensive but they do save a lot in the long run.


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## CKelly78z

^^^A good example of the senior discounts is the homestead exemption act that allows a certain amount of your property taxes to be exempted for each year (depending on which state you live in). Ohio for 2019 is the first $32,800.

The "Golden Buckeye card" is another example that can save you 10% at most businesses, and doctors.


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## Txyogagirl

I cut my budget by not buying stuff I trash. I also helping our our earth but more so helping my pocket book. I became a stay home mom 2.5yr ago and knew since pregnancy I wanted to clothdiaper that really opened my eyes to everything. So for the pass almost 3 yrs I have never bought toilet paper, paper towels, ziplocks, trash bags, never did I buy disposable plates cups but if a party was happening I might and now I never ever will. It’s crazy the amount of money we flash down the toilet literally flush. Charmin is expensive lol 
My home seems more clean now than it ever was and I have less trash and less waste. I also follow DAve Ramsey baby steps. When things are extra tight I cal all my bills and ask for credits and shop for electric on power to choose and have mymeter reg with smart meter Texas. I also conserve by turning off lights adding socks for bed opening windows on nice days using my clothline and not my dryer. Not using blow dryer curling iron. Bathe with my kids. Most of all stay home more don’t leave and usage money


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## jimLE

I fist started cutting my cost of living by baking several meat patties or what ever at a time.eat one.refidgate 1 to 3 of them. Freeze the rest of them.then there's the thermostat. I'll shut it off for the better part of the day.while we're having good enough weather.i now live within walking distance of the small town grocery store now.so i walk to it if I'm getting 5 items or less when weather permits. There's a dollar general and a family dollar in which I've walked to a few times.


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## newfieannie

they will have to drag my tp from my dead cold hands .


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## newfieannie

should I ask what you use instead of tp? ~Georgia aw never mind. every year we have a thread on TP and I end up going out the next day and spending a couple hundred on TP,kleenex and the like.


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## CKelly78z

I just sharpened my 4 chainsaw chains, and saved about $20. I have sharpened them myself for the last 5 years using my $35 harbor freight electric chain sharpener with good luck....I am typing this sitting next to my Regency 3100 woodstove in a 72 degree house (5* windchill outside right now) that pays for itself plus some, every year for the last 15.


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## ladytoysdream

newfieannie said:


> should I ask what you use instead of tp? ~Georgia aw never mind. every year we have a thread on TP and I end up going out the next day and spending a couple hundred on TP,kleenex and the like.


Count me in as curious also............
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*


Txyogagirl said:



So for the pass almost 3 yrs I have never bought toilet paper, paper towels, ziplocks, trash bags, never did I buy disposable plates cups but if a party was happening I might and now I never ever will. It’s crazy the amount of money we flash down the toilet literally flush. Charmin is expensive

Click to expand...

 *
how about more information please....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I been using coffee filters that I bought 2 good size bags full .cheap last summer for paper towels.
Even the husband is, and not complaining. Did get 2 rolls of paper towels recently and it seemed
like we went through them very fast. Cheapest I could find at Walmart.

I been getting those baby wipes, non scented to use for different things. They are handy
and work real well. Whatever you want to use them for.

Not sure if I would want to use handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex. Long ago, but not now.
Even one paper towel works if out of Kleenex .
Been fortunate not to have had a cold all winter. Course I stay home a lot too.


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## CKelly78z

I hardly ever use kleenex, I will fold up a paper towel in my pocket and use it all day. I can't imagine what you are using in place of TP....maybe I don't want to know.


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## ladytoysdream

Hard to figure increases here.
About this time of year, Direct TV usually goes up.
I recently negotiated and got them down $ 30 a month for our bill.

Then in May when the house and vehicle insurance is due, those usually go up.
We pay in one yearly payment so we don't have to have those monthly fees.

Postage went up recently. I bought ahead the forever stamps so good for awhile.

Groceries 
Aldi's had raised prices shortly after opening a new store here.
I could only buy a few things there. Ended up at Walmart. Best prices on
bottom or top shelves. Finally checked Aldi's again and their prices are back down
to reasonable so I get more things there again.

It's just one day at a time.


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## newfieannie

ladytoysdream said:


> Count me in as curious also............
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> how about more information please....
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> I been using coffee filters that I bought 2 good size bags full .cheap last summer for paper towels.
> Even the husband is, and not complaining. Did get 2 rolls of paper towels recently and it seemed
> like we went through them very fast. Cheapest I could find at Walmart.
> 
> I been getting those baby wipes, non scented to use for different things. They are handy
> and work real well. Whatever you want to use them for.
> 
> Not sure if I would want to use handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex. Long ago, but not now.
> Even one paper towel works if out of Kleenex .
> Been fortunate not to have had a cold all winter. Course I stay home a lot too.


you probably don't want to know . face cloths, sponges dipped in vinegar like they did back in roman times, corn cobs? etc. etc. (I still don't know what they do with the corn cobs and I don't intend to find out) I just knew I would buy a load of TP when I went out today and I did. I thought handkerchiefs went out 40 years ago. I have a few of my mothers fancy ones but I only use them with a dab of perfume when I'm in line and can't stand the smell anymore.~Georgia


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## whiterock

you can get bandannas for $1 each. Use them for napkins, sop sweat, dust mask, bald people tie them around head to catch sweat while working in hot climates, lots of uses.


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## newfieannie

my son uses one of those for a sweat band. I thought first you were going to say you use them for TP.


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## whiterock

I should add, don't get the bandannas from places like hobby lobby that are Chinese made. They come apart first time they are washed. Get the USA made ones. They last a long time.


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## emdeengee

We use extra large tea towels for napkins. Inexpensive, they wash well with no ironing, they work well for crumb makers and dribblers and the many colours and patterns allows everyone to choose their own. Kids love this of course.


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## Evons hubby

Wash cloths, wet with warm soapy water make excellent toilet paper. I think they not only do a better job but rarely break through like tp does. Corn cobs are a tad scratchy when dry but soaked in water ahead of time they can save a few bucks and compost fairly quickly. (Keep a couple white ones on hand for checking your work)


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## roadless

Yvonne's hubby said:


> Wash cloths, wet with warm soapy water make excellent toilet paper. I think they not only do a better job but rarely break through like tp does. Corn cobs are a tad scratchy when dry but soaked in water ahead of time they can save a few bucks and compost fairly quickly. (Keep a couple white ones on hand for checking your work)


Nope.
I'm frugal, but not that frugal .


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## Evons hubby

roadless said:


> Nope.
> I'm frugal, but not that frugal .


It's great to live in the land of plenty ain't it!?! I can recall the Carter years, we were just getting started here in Kentucky. I'd send the kids to the woods everyday to bring in "Mullen" leaves. After a couple months of that I scored a bunch of hand towels and wash cloths at an estate auction. Couple of huge boxes of them for a buck! The kids were so proud of my investment.... Especially the girls. Why are some of my fondest memories about the very leanest of times? These days I have all the "good things", running water, both hot n cold, central heat n air, cars that run, tractors that run.... But depositing checks from investments gets boring! I really miss those days that offered a real challenge every day just to have food to eat, a dry place to sleep, and the kids living real lives!


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## dodgesmammaw

I use unpaper towels. I make them from old flannel baby blankets. We use cloth napkins. I can get a dozen for $2 at resale store. I am frugal but still like my tp.


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## lmrose

dodgesmammaw said:


> I use unpaper towels. I make them from old flannel baby blankets. We use cloth napkins. I can get a dozen for $2 at resale store. I am frugal but still like my tp.


I like your idea of using cloth. Occasionally I buy paper towels but only it dirt cheap. Most times it is cut rags for wipe ups and old face cloths. Cloth napkins or paper ones which were given to me. I save those for company.

We don't buy much from the store because of growing most of our food. But of the few things we buy like honey, organic whole wheat flour, organic rolled oats, natural peanut butter, cheese, butter, olive oil and sunflower oil , organic raisins, nuts, organic apples,organic pop corn and organic chocolate chips have greatly increased in price lately. I buy less now and use everything bought sparingly.

I did more forging for wild apples and berries and intend to do the same this year. We will still have grapes, currents, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and cantaloupes growing at the farm this year.

Forty years ago the food we bought cost us $25 a week. The same items now cost a $100. a week but I still only average the $25. a week because I cut back and don't buy them all at the same time. All the things I buy is only when on sale. The 25 lbs each of flour and oats last all winter. I had to not shop for a month to save enough money to buy them in bulk and save 10% .

We liked frozen yogurt ice-cream but the least expensive is still $4.99 for for under 2 liters which is about 68ounces that comes in the tubs. We stopped buying it. I use frozen fruit blended with milk. I still have frozen goats milk but it will be gone by Spring. Right now we are using skim milk powder mixed with water. I refuse to spend more than $25 a week at a grocery store even if it means doing without until I can afford what I consider extras that we don't grow. 

Other way we have cut back is on electricity. We have a heat pump in the house trailer. When the sun is shining I open all curtains and let it pore in and heat up the trailer. That keeps the heat pump from coming on. I keep it set at 21C or about 70 F. we keep a fire in the wood stove in the basement on the coldest days. We turned down the electric hot water heater so the water is hot enough to take a bath without adding cold water. We don't use any lights except on the darkest days and the only things that stay plugged in are the small freezers and the water pump. I had a bar fridge and it quit along with the microwave and I didn't bother to replace them. I cook on a two burner hot plate type counter top stove or if power is out we can cook in the cellar on the wood stove anything that needs stove top cooking.Most cooking is done in slow cookers. Baking is done in a counter top oven that holds a 12" pizza pan. 

The reason for the drastic cut backs was our first power bill having a heat pump as part of the cost; was $260. for two months. $25 of it was basic charge and that included tax we have here. People tell me that is not a lot but to us it was huge! On the farm cooking on the wood stove and heating water on it our power bill was $28 for two months! We cut our own wood in those days too. This winter Bill cut up dead trees on the trailer lot and we had only to buy one cord of hard wood which cost $240! which was also expensive. We have only had one power bill since having a heat pump. The next one should arrive at the end of this month. Then we will be able to tell if the cuts we have made helped lower our bill. Sure miss the good old days when heat, hot water and cooking was all done on the kitchen wood stove!


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## pixiedoodle

WE KEEP BUYING FEWER ITEMS AT THE STORE. WE USE LEFTOVERS O EVERY WAY WE CAN & TOSS OUT ZERO FOODS IF IT CAN BE EATEN. GROCERIES HAVE BECIOME SO HIGH THAT WE KEEP CUTTING BACK & STRETCHING AS FAR AS WE CAN ON EVERYTHING WE COOK. USE A LOT OF FILLERS, & IMAGINATION IN THE COOKING DEPARTMENT. WE TRY TO BE CAREFUL WITH UTILITIES & ELEMINATE AS MUCH WASTE IN DAILY LIFE AS WE CAN. PRICES NEVER GO DOWN SO WE TRY TO PLAN ON MAKING CUTS TO ACCOMODATE THE RISING PRICES EVEN THO IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. WE ARE AT THE AGE & STAGE WHERE OUR MEDICAL BILLS ARE GETTING HIGH & BECAUSE OF A HEART VIRUS I GOT 2 YRS AGO, I HAVE HAD 4 HEART SURGERIES & TAKE 23 PILLS A DAY BECAUSE IT AS WELL. SO, WE CUT BACK EVERYWHERE WE CAN & JUST KEEP GOING. IF OUR HOUSE WAS PAID FOR THAT WOULD BE GREAT BUT ITS NOT & RIGHT NOW PAYMENTS ARE CHEAPER THAN RENTING AN APT., SO WE STAY & KEEP MAKING THOSE PAYMENTS & DO ALL THE UPKEEP WE CAN DO OURSELVES. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHIG YOU CAN CUT BACK, USE LESS, DO IT YOURSELF, MAKE YOUR OWN, BUY IT USED, STRETCH WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT, IMPROVIVISE, REPAIR, RE-USE. LET YOUR BRAIN RUN FREE & IT IS AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN FIGURE OUT TO MAKE DUE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY.


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## 101pigs

pixiedoodle said:


> WE KEEP BUYING FEWER ITEMS AT THE STORE. WE USE LEFTOVERS O EVERY WAY WE CAN & TOSS OUT ZERO FOODS IF IT CAN BE EATEN. GROCERIES HAVE BECIOME SO HIGH THAT WE KEEP CUTTING BACK & STRETCHING AS FAR AS WE CAN ON EVERYTHING WE COOK. USE A LOT OF FILLERS, & IMAGINATION IN THE COOKING DEPARTMENT. WE TRY TO BE CAREFUL WITH UTILITIES & ELEMINATE AS MUCH WASTE IN DAILY LIFE AS WE CAN. PRICES NEVER GO DOWN SO WE TRY TO PLAN ON MAKING CUTS TO ACCOMODATE THE RISING PRICES EVEN THO IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. WE ARE AT THE AGE & STAGE WHERE OUR MEDICAL BILLS ARE GETTING HIGH & BECAUSE OF A HEART VIRUS I GOT 2 YRS AGO, I HAVE HAD 4 HEART SURGERIES & TAKE 23 PILLS A DAY BECAUSE IT AS WELL. SO, WE CUT BACK EVERYWHERE WE CAN & JUST KEEP GOING. IF OUR HOUSE WAS PAID FOR THAT WOULD BE GREAT BUT ITS NOT & RIGHT NOW PAYMENTS ARE CHEAPER THAN RENTING AN APT., SO WE STAY & KEEP MAKING THOSE PAYMENTS & DO ALL THE UPKEEP WE CAN DO OURSELVES. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHIG YOU CAN CUT BACK, USE LESS, DO IT YOURSELF, MAKE YOUR OWN, BUY IT USED, STRETCH WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT, IMPROVIVISE, REPAIR, RE-USE. LET YOUR BRAIN RUN FREE & IT IS AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN FIGURE OUT TO MAKE DUE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY.


Don't worry about it. ITs going to get better in a couple years. In the mean time the poor will get poorer and the rich richer. Happens every few years.


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## light rain

We buy 2nd hand for a lot of things as long as they can be fully cleaned.

If I see a fruit tree bearing fruit (and no one harvesting) I ask if I can pick some. Also look around to see if there is some outdoor landscaping chore that I can help with for repayment.

While we still eat animal protein we have reduced it and consume more beans, vegetables, brown rice and barley. Save money and we haven't bought a laxative in a couple of years.

I need to do better about not putting too much stuff in the fridge so I can see what's there.

Automatic withdrawl of funds going to savings month. 

While this may seem petty, if folks don't either call, text or send a thank you note, say, for example, hospital flowers or gifts, no more. I can either use that $$ to pay down a balance or put in savings or... buy another fruit tree...

Also very limited eating out. Most of it is high salt and high fat. And it isn't cheap anymore... I can make most meals for 30% of what it costs to eat out, I know what's in it and I don't require a tip. I do appreciate/require gratitude though...


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## In The Woods

We used to do our grocery runs every other week but am finding it impossible to get enough of what we want to last 2 weeks. Our only option as far as a grocery store is Walmart which is 35 miles away. The next town that has a couple grocery stores is 65 miles away and just too much of a trip for me.

Both my wife and myself have become very picky eaters it seems. Neither of us have much of an appetite at all. Plus my wife has liver disease and needs a very high protein diet. So I have kind of thrown frugality out the window - we get what we like to eat which is a lot of yogurt and other dairy goods which really adds up as far as cost.

We end up with a grocery bill of over $250 per month. There is really no way around it. Plus now having to make weekly trips doubles my fuel bill for the month.

So the money has to come from somewhere - have to cut back on a lot of other stuff to balance the monthly budget.


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## pixiedoodle

WE EAT ONE MEAL OUT ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, MOST MONTHS. HOWEVER SOMETIMES WE GO FOR A DOLLR ICE CREAM CONE AT BURGER KING ABOUT ONCE A WEEK AS OUR BIG TREAT. SOMETIMES WE EAT A DOLLAR BURGER & GET THE 40 CENT SENIOR DRINK. I EAT HALF OF ITHE BURGER & DH FINISHES IT...I AM NOT MUCH OF A MEAT EATER. CAN'T BEAT THAT PRICE & WE ARE GOOD WITH THE SMALLER AMT OF FOOD.


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## ldc

*I'm in a 2nd fl apt. and usually freeze in the winter, as there are 2 5ft aluminum framed windows that leak in the 1963 building, as well as 3 other smaller windows. To sleep I've always put an old down coat on top of the covers with a hot water bottle underneath. This winter Entergy installed "smart meters" and our bills doubled, so I let the folks underneath me heat my upstairs apt.!

In the past I've used bubblewrap on the windows, heavy remnants, curtains, comforters. etc. The temps. were down in the upper 30's this year, upper 20's at worst (we lucked out for this year's south Louisiana winter), and by turning the entire heating/cooling system off, my bill went down to last year's manageable amount! Today it hit 80, and I heard the neighbors' ac systems on, but not at my place yet...have been scrubbing the fans.*


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## light rain

I hope to put quilts up in October this year to keep out the cold. We have some and maybe I can make some simple ones.

I put rice in DH's old cotton socks and tie them off. Then heat in the microwave, carefully, and use those for us to warm us up at night. Plan to try adding some of the different herbs or essential oils to see what they smell like. 

And nothing beats a good, old fashioned wool blanket for winter warmth...


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## pixiedoodle

i am absolutely hooked on down comforters. i bought about 5 of them at pennys outlet 20 yrs ago & we sometimes have 2 on the bed + sheet & bed comforter/spread. we often watch tv under down comforters. i bot lots of duvets for the comforters at pennys outlet as well. too bad pennys outlet is gone. sure miss the great bedding buys & cheap king size down comforters all under $20 each. our old ranch style house is drafty even tho we have replaced all the windows, put on a new room & had insulation blown into the walls. still have 2 drafty doors that need to be replaced. i keep drat dodgers on them in the winter. still planning to have attic insulated as well. just hve t do it as we save up for each improvement.


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## frogmammy

I will ditto that on down comforters! LOVE mine! In the winter, I turn the heat off an hour or so before I go to bed and I am toasty warm all night long. In the morning, turn on my heat on the way to morning potty and I am GOOD!

A couple years ago, I had insulation blown into my attic, brought up the "whatever" to R-19. I understand there's better R value, but this is not the arctic circle. All helps keep heating and cooling bills low, yet the house comfortable.

Mon


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## CKelly78z

When I worked on a newspaper printing press 20 years ago, I was able to bring home some of the leftover "cores" that we threw away from the big rolls of paper. We use this paper for all sorts of things around the homestead. I also brought some used rolls of transfer film, that we used in the cameras to take pull size pictures, to transfer to the web offset aluminum plates (that actually applied the ink to the paper). These are chrome on one side, and pink on the other (with old photos of newspaper pages). We use this film as a fancy gift wrap that can't be torn without a knife.


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## whiterock

I use brown paper grocery sacks for wrapping paper and tie it with twine. Goes especially well under my cowboy Christmas tree. Always hated paying for gift wrap, just get destroyed anyway. I also used the sacks for book covers when I was teaching. The covers provided by the school were much cheaper grade paper that wouldn't hold up. They make good cowboy shelving paper too.


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## newfieannie

I just got my gas bill today. I saved another 100 dollars by turning down another notch. we've had some cold wet and rainy weather in that time too but i wasn't cold.

i kept a flannel shirt on and a hoodie and when i was up the valley my friend had a bunch of clothes given to him and he gave me a padded vest and that's what i have been wearing. i don't know what it's padded with but is it ever warm. coming on now we should be able to turn all the thermostats off. the hot water will still be on but that's probably only 50 dollars a month. ~Georgia


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## pixiedoodle

that's a great idea about te vest & i would guess it is ful of poylester batting or down i will look for one at the junk store next time i go. i have down slip on booties ankle high. thye make my feet sweat if i keep them on long enough. only problem is the outside fabric is like shinny poyester but they are slick & no grip . i also found a pr of down boot fuzzy boots in the back of dh's closet. i wear those in the house when it is super cold . i was given huge slabs of poyester that lined my neighbires yard laounge shairs. the outside fabric torn & the left them all on my porch to "do something" with". so, o made ttal covers for my dog crates,,top sides, bottom& even doors. the dogs love to sleep in them & tho it is totally breathable I also pull the front over the door so they stay toasty warm inside at nite. i am looking for thick slabs of foam rubbee to use for cushions for them to sleep on inside the crates altho i now use old feather pillows. they love it & no expences to make them other than time. i take my polyester slab covers off in the spring. one wants to sleep on the wood floor in the summer but the other wants to continue to sleep in her crate with the door open. 
great deas can be had by getting creative & getting great tips from here!


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## CountryMom22

We saved a bundle this year while replacing the raised garden beds. Due to my bad knees, gardening at ground level is out of the question, and our old beds are no longer serviceable. So hubby took the steel shipping crate frames that my son brought home from work to scrap and added sides made out of old pool siding. So I now have 5 new, bigger beds with steel frames and metal sides that didn't cost us anything except hubby's time, which he would have spent making me new beds out of wood. Which he would have to replace in a few years anyway. So long term, we saved money and time!


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## lmrose

It is hard cutting back when consumer goods keep increasing along with power and everything else. I couldn't wait to get our second full two month power bill since moving into the house trailer. The first one was $260 for two months. We turned down the electric hot water heater, don't have a fridg anymore, turned off the heat pump when ever there was sunshine to heat the trailer, don't use electric lights daytimes and the power bill came. It was only $20 less than the previous one! I was so disappointed having expected it to be less. This Spring has been cold and wet with intermittent sunny days. It has been staying in the 30's F at night and 40'sF days until this afternoon it made it up into the 50's F. Soon we will be at the farm and cabin and will save on power as we won't be at the trailer and there is no power at the cabin. I have cut back even more what I buy at the store. Pretty soon we will be 99% self-sufficient food wise. Thinking about buying another goat so we have our own milk again.


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## HermitJohn

I just paid my electric bill today. Up couple bucks cause of summer surcharge. Little over $32. But ever since my 50 year old refrigerator went to appliance heaven last summer and I replaced it with a chest freezer that I converted to refrigerator with by replacing thermostat. Well ever since then my monthly electric bill been hovering $29 to $35. I use less than $10 actual electric, most of bill is monthly fee to be hooked to the grid plus various taxes and surcharges. Even using no actual electric, there wouldnt be much further savings. Just a donation to electric company and govt.


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## pixiedoodle

EVERYONE OF OUR UTILITIES HAVE RAISED THEIR RATES THIS SUMMER. I AM SURE THE GAS BILL WILL RISE AGAIN ONCE SEP OR OCT GETS HERE SO WE ARE PUTTING BACK A FEW EXTRA BUCKS IN PREP FOR WHAT WE KNOW WILL BE HIGHER UTILITIES. WE JUST PLAN ON EVERY ONE OF OUR UTILITIES INCLUDING CABLE TO JUMP LIKE THEY HAVE DOEN EVERY YR IN THE PAST. A BUCK HERE & THERE & BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THERE GOES ANOTHER $50 + A MTH . DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH BUT OUR INCOME STAYS THE SAME WHILE EVERYTHING ELSES RISES. SEVERAL OF MY MEDS HAVE DOUBLED IN THE LAST 6 WKS. UNBELIVEABLE ! SEEMS TO ME THAT A LOT OF US ARE GOING TO BE REACHING THE POINT WHERE THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO CUT BACK ON.


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## jimLE

i leave my ac off at night.but only when the night time temp and humidity aint to high.and only run it during the day just to cool things off every once n a while.i only drive when it's necessary just to save on gas.even then.i buy a few needed item's when i do drive it.i mostly bake when i cook.even then i back enough food to last a few days.


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## emdeengee

We never had air conditioning when we lived in a very hot climate but did use some simple steps to stay cooler - most of which are in this very good article 

https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/how-to-keep-house-cool-without-ac/


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## ladytoysdream

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Today, I am at the meat place. buying beef liver and heart for the dog. If we need to use it, it is
also human quality. It is a USDA inspected facility. So I ask the meat cutter, if they have any
sales or good deals on meat. He says they have some hamburger at 90% lean for $ 1.50 a pound.
I think he sees this amazed look on my face and keeps explaining. It has to be sold for pets, and
not for humans, because it is TOO lean. For some reason, they have to be less than 90 %, more
like 85 % or less. I smile and say, okay, looks like the dog is going to eat real good 
So I buy 100 pounds in 1 pound frozen packages. They had a customer bring in this cow
to be butchered and then she couldn't pay the butchering bill. 
Last hamburg I bought was at Walmart for 2.29 a pound and it was a 10 pound package
and it was like 75 % lean. 25 % fat


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## pixiedoodle

we have spent so much money on groceries this past few weeks that it is mind boggling. we keep thinking we won't have to g back to the store for2 or 3 wks but seems like we are always out of something we think we can't live without. i am tired of grocery shopping but sometimes you are just out of basic stuff & you think you can't function without it. funny how you find a way to do just that. we need to defrost our big upright frzr. i am sure we will find some wonderful "finds" in it...i hope. i always thik back about how my mother managed to feed us kids & seems like our diet was quite limited but we didn't know life any different. just keep moving forward & do the best you can with what you have.


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## newfieannie

some people have already reached that point PD. around here anyway. I can't save anything lately too much work to do. we have had so much rain I've also had to keep the furnace on because the house gets damp. last 2 months been heavy. taxes and stuff.

I gave my son new tires for the car I gave him . I'm not complaining though. that was his birthday present although it doesn't come until july. he has been off work a couple weeks with a bad back. I hate to see him with bad tires. our utilities gone up here too . gas is down 4cents a litre again today that's good for sure. ~Georgia


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## ladytoysdream

I wasn't planning on buying a big quantity of meat yesterday.
But it was one of those decisions that will work for us. We were really
low on meat because we been using up what is in the freezer these
last few months. I been getting meat deals to build it back up.
Not too long ago, I got us a good deal on several big packages of
chicken wings. Really marked down low.

Our budget is tight now. Got vehicle and house insurance due in June.
I try to pay the one in full and the other one I do in monthly installments.

Got a good mechanic thank goodness. Young fellow and he is really frugal also.
Keeps encouraging me to keep my 03 truck going. Gives me good deals.
I pay him cash so that helps also .


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## ladytoysdream

Decided to stop procrastinating and made a call to the local Office for the aging.
Get some paperwork together, and then make a appointment with them.
The guy I talked to today, will help me do the applications. 
We already get HEAP. There is a program to help with cleaning your furnace
that HEAP pays for..Going to see if we can get that.
There is a program that if your income is low enough, you can get your medicare
premium back. We are just over the income limit on that but come to find out, if we
get a additional health insurance coverage plan, that will be a negative on our income,
and we might be able to get some of the medicare money back, about 40 %.
I am more than capable of doing these applications, but this sounds so much
easier, and these people know other options / programs , we are not aware that
even exist. It's worth my time to find out.


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## pixiedoodle

ladytoysdream said:


> Decided to stop procrastinating and made a call to the local Office for the aging.
> Get some paperwork together, and then make a appointment with them.
> The guy I talked to today, will help me do the applications.
> We already get HEAP. There is a program to help with cleaning your furnace
> that HEAP pays for..Going to see if we can get that.
> There is a program that if your income is low enough, you can get your medicare
> premium back. We are just over the income limit on that but come to find out, if we
> get a additional health insurance coverage plan, that will be a negative on our income,
> and we might be able to get some of the medicare money back, about 40 %.
> I am more than capable of doing these applications, but this sounds so much
> easier, and these people know other options / programs , we are not aware that
> even exist. It's worth my time to find out.


SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ON A GOOD TRACK THERE. TOO BAD THERE ISN'T MORE PROGRAMS ALL OVER THE USA. I SEE NOTHING OF THAT SORT IN KS ...OR MAYBE I JUST HAVEN'T FOUND THEM. I THINK WE CAN ALL GET CREATIVE IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER. WE STILL THINK THE DOWN COMFORTERS ARE OUR FAVORITE THINGS. WE WATCH TV UNDER THEM & HAVE SEVERAL ON OUR BED AT ITE, KEEP 2 ON OUR KING SIZED GUEST BED & EVERYOONE LOVES THEM. I BOT THEM FOR LESS THAN $30 FROM THE OLD PENNYS OUTLET STORE BEFORE THEY CLOSED DOWN. I GOT A LOT OF GREAT DEALS AT THAT STORE OVER THE YEARS & SURE DO MISS THEM AS A RESCOURCE FOR PAYING A LOT LESS FOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & CLOTHING & FURNITURE ETC.
WE JUST KEEP INVENT NEW WAYS TO CUT BACK & SAVE A BUCK HERE & THERE WHEN & WHERE WE CAN. I COOK THE SAME WAY..DON'T WSTE GROCERIES & USE EVERY SCRAP MADE OT RE-MADE INTO SOMETHING DELISH & HEALTHY.


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## emdeengee

The latest figures from annalists have concluded that the tariffs Trump has imposed have cost the average American family $500 with an increase to $800 by the end of 2019. Actual real people are paying for the tariffs because the cost to manufacturers, suppliers, industry and food production is being passed on down the line to the end which is the consumer. And this is not including new housing or cars but just in the increase to daily consumption items and the billions of tax dollars that have had to be paid out to farmers and will continue to be paid out. Most visible in food increases.

This poses a really serious threat to those on very fixed incomes. It makes it virtually impossible to keep up through continued sacrificing from the budget. Making more money is going to be the only way to keep ahead.


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## newfieannie

money is going through a sieve here this month. I had to pay to get mowing done cause of my back problems and deck and walkway power washed. eavestrough repaired, new roof had some shingles that came off in the last wind.

got to call someone to replace my fence which will likely be 9k or so. I paid 7 for it a few years ago and it was supposed to be pressure treated wood but it wasn't. hopefully i'll be able to do my own yard work this week and paint my deck.

be a lot cheaper to live in an apartment or condo but I wouldn't be happy. already tried that and I was miserable. course then I had a man that made me unhappy~Georgia .


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## Farmerjack41

HermitJohn said:


> I just paid my electric bill today. Up couple bucks cause of summer surcharge. Little over $32. But ever since my 50 year old refrigerator went to appliance heaven last summer and I replaced it with a chest freezer that I converted to refrigerator with by replacing thermostat. Well ever since then my monthly electric bill been hovering $29 to $35. I use less than $10 actual electric, most of bill is monthly fee to be hooked to the grid plus various taxes and surcharges. Even using no actual electric, there wouldnt be much further savings. Just a donation to electric company and govt.


Nice price for power. During spring and fall, when no AC or irrigating in happening, my bill drops to $135+ per month. 
Summer and coldest part of winter, it will be close to double.


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## ladytoysdream

When I was in Walmart yesterday, I was pricing things I had not bought in awhile.
A lot of things have increased in price 
And our store has moved a lot of things around. I guess they think if they keep us
in the store longer, then we will buy more. All it does is make me grumpy and I only
get what I need and sometimes if I can't find it, I don't even bother to ask for it.
Figure I can find it at another store.

I picked up Saturday's local paper. It's now $ 1.25 per day. The Saturday one has
all the ads. So I read the ads after I got home. Just put me in more shock at prices.
I call it a reality check. Usually I just read the local paper online. But it doesn't show
everything , like the hardcopy does. Probably be another 6 months before I buy a
newsstand copy again.

Our electric stays right around $ 100 a month. Winter and summer.
In the summer, our hot water is powered by electric. In the winter, the
heat exchanger on the hot water tank is powered by the hot water from the outside
wood boiler. So that is why our bill is pretty much the same year round.
Our summer bill would be a lot cheaper if we did not need hot water.

I been washing smaller loads of laundry. I always use cold water. I try to hang
as much as I can. Sometimes I run the dryer like 20 minutes with a load to
get the wrinkles out. Then hang to finish drying.

Just made a dozen hard boiled eggs. Going to cook some macaroni soon and thinking
a macaroni salad. Probably saving the other half for goulash for tomorrow.
Trying to do what I have to do, to keep making ends meet. It sure is getting harder.


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## HermitJohn

Farmerjack41 said:


> Nice price for power. During spring and fall, when no AC or irrigating in happening, my bill drops to $135+ per month.
> Summer and coldest part of winter, it will be close to double.


No more electric than I use and if I were younger, might be worth going off grid and solar. Wouldnt take a big system. Just got another electric bill and it was up to $36 since I have been using fans more. And I suppose the freezer and refrigerator have to run more to battle warmer ambient temperatures. I suspect they have upped rates a bit too as bill higher than it was in lot warmer months last summer after replacing that old refrigerator. 

I knew that old refrigerator was not very efficient with bad gaskets and self defrost, had no idea it was as bad as it was. Been smarter to have replaced it earlier, but whole lot hassle just getting it out of house by myself so procrastinated. It was made in the 60s, must been one of first self defrost but for long time now, been next to impossible to find a manual defrost other than tiny dorm refrigerators. It was from back when Whirlpool was division of RCA. And appliances still lasted very long time. Even back in 90s when I bought it (well traded for it, basically got it free), couldnt find good 40s or 50s era manual defrost fridge. People that had them kept them and put them in basement or garage for soda and beer cause they were dependable and efficient.


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## frogmammy

Last year I started ordering dog food from Chewey (online) because it was cheaper than what I was buying in the store, PLUS it was delivered to my door....no back pain for DAYS after lugging a bag from the car and into the house!

Well, now, since the first of the year, the price has increased by a touch over $8 a bag, with a price increase in every order. I ordered two 30 pound bags at a time, every two months, so now each order is $16 higher than it was in January. 

If I had just bought one bag a month, I PROBABLY wouldn't have noticed the price creep.

Mon


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## HermitJohn

ladytoysdream said:


> When I was in Walmart yesterday, I was pricing things I had not bought in awhile.
> A lot of things have increased in price


I am noticing too despite govt chant that there is no inflation and the FED actually wants MORE inflation. The idea is that more inflation makes people less likely to hold off on purchases thinking prices will be lot higher sooner than later. Companies are using the tariffs as excuse to jack prices. Part of it is the tariffs, more taxes on American public by any other name, but part is just opportunistic greed. China isnt being taxed, the American public is, the only hurt on China is they are selling less though not whole lot less since not lot alternatives. At least its not like big jump in early 70s when Republican price/wage controls came off combined with energy price increases.


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## emdeengee

One of the most helpful things that you can do when on a limited income and/or a strict budget for savings or debt repayment purposes is to keep a price book. This does take application and a certain amount of boring work but it really allows you to track increases in prices and sales. It does not take a lot of time to set up a price book because most people tend to buy the same things most of the time. I put one or two items on each page and can thus list the different stores and their prices. One example of how this saves you money - one store sells the yogurt we use for $4.99 now while the other sells it for $2.48 - both have gone up (59 cents and 20 cents) but it is worth a second stop on a shopping trip to buy from wherever the regular price is best.

Every single food and household item in our price book has gone up since January except for milk which at the moment is still a lost leader for the stores. The sale prices are higher as well so even when you buy on sale you are not saving as much. The increases have been anywhere from 10 cents to $13.


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## newfieannie

just came from WM. the prices are indeed higher today.i wanted cheese but it was 6.50 for the stuff I usually pay 4 something for. it is likely because Canada day is coming up long weekend. they always do that to us. I got it at no frills couple dollars less.

HJ mentioned fridges. dad bought a fridge GE in 49. the house was sold again last summer. my bro told me the fridge is still purring along.

both my washer and dryer are on their last legs. I don't expect to get anything that lasts very long these days. I'm on my second stove since I bought this place in 07 and that's a piece of junk.

at least I saved 50 dollars today. I was able to do all my own mowing

~Georgia.


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## ladytoysdream

newfieannie said:


> both my washer and dryer are on their last legs. I don't expect to get anything that lasts very long these days. I'm on my second stove since I bought this place in 07 and that's a piece of junk.
> ~Georgia.


Can you buy a older set used ? They made them better years ago.

If I had to pay 50 $ for mowing, trust me....I would have hay surrounding the house. All 2 acres of it


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## alida

I started saving for new appliances three years ago. All of mine -fridge/stove/dishwasher/washer/dryer are..18 years old AND none of them has needed a repair. I chose simple models at the time and I think that's helped too. Still, I know I'm on borrowed time BUT I do have the money set aside. If push comes to shove I could live without the dishwasher...for a short while.

I'm 59 and hoped to retire in 1-2 years. More that a year ago I decided to try living on my projected pension income now, to see if this was feasible. My goal is to live completely on my company and CPP (SS) pensions for day to day living and keep my savings for "other".

It has been a interesting experiment! I did discover that I'll be fine for day to day expenses, but over the last year I had a couple surprises that came with five digit price tags. I was not allocating enough money for large ticket expenses in the future the way I should have, and will probably work another year now, so retire at 62 - which is still pretty good. My mortgage is gone which is a huge help. 

The cost of food has sure increased a lot this year. Right now a bunch of celery is $6 where I live and local strawberries are $8/qt. Local strawberry farms in the area say the crops are going to be poor due to the rain, and some farmers were a month late planting other vegetables and figure their crops will be 50% less this year.


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## newfieannie

I have a dishwasher but it's capped off because the water from the sink use to come up in it and nobody could figure out why. never bothered with a dishwasher anyway.

do you have No Frills up there Alida? that's a good place for produce. I bought some blueberries there today 288 for a pint. sobeys were likely 5dollars or more. good thing I don't like celery and strawberries. I got raspberries also at a good price. sobeys had fresh haddock for half the regular price. .

I bought 10 lbs because I mostly live on it. it's good to know prices too. sobeys and no frills are quite close together so I don't have to go out of my way. unless I need something desperately I buy what's on sale. cold water wash was on 1/2 the regular price also. ~Georgia


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## alida

I have a No Frills three blocks away from me, and that's what celery cost there this past weekend. I would say no to buying it, but I use celery in so many recipes that I do buy it, and just make sure I use every single bit. I do watch NF sales carefully and tend to purchase that way. The produce turnover is very fast and I agree that the quality is good. You got a excellent deal on that haddock Georgia. 

There is a Metro and Loblaws and Food Basics and possibly a Freshco within 15 km of where I live but I don't have a car so prefer to shop at NF which is close by.


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## pixiedoodle

I TRY TO MAKE/ COOK FULL SIZED MEALS OF THINGS LIKE ROST BEEF & PORK, CHICKEN, GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, CHILI ETC. I DIVY IT UP INTO PORTIONS FOR 3-4 MEALS & FRZ THEM. CHEAPER TO BUY & IT MAKES MEAL PREP EASIER AS WELL. WE DON'T GET TIRED OF THE SAME THING FOR DAYS & WE CAN HAVE QUITE A MIXED VARIETY WITH EVENING MEALS. WE DON'T EAT BREAKFAST BESIDES DH FRYING AN EGG NOW & THEN OR WE HAVE CEREAL & SOMETIMES IT IS OUR EVENING MEAL. WE HAVE FOUND THAT IN THE LAST YEAR IN PARTICULAR OUR MEAL SIZES ARE ABOUT HALF OF WHAT THEY USE TO BE. I HAD LUNCH WITH A FRIEND & SPOUSE YEST. & THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW SIMPLE THEY KEEP THEIR MEALS NOW & HOW MUCH SMALLER THEY ARE. THEY NO LONGER FIX HUGE MEALS. THEY HAVE FOUND THAT EVERYTHIG IN THEIR LIVES HAVE DOWN SIZED MORE IN THE PAST YR. THAN WHEN THEY FIRST RETIRED. WE ARE FINDING THE SAME FOR OURSELVES & LIFESTYLE. OUR FRIENDS HAVE DECIDED TO SELL THEIR 4 BDRM HOUSE WITH A POOL IN AZ. & MOVE TO A CONDO WITH A POOL. THEY HAD NO IDEA 5 YRS AGO HOW THEIR LIVES WOULD DOWNSIZE IN ALL WAYS & WE FEEL THE SAME WAY. WE ARE LOOKING INTO DOWNSIZING OUR HOME & YARD & TRYING TO DO THAT IN EVERY PART OF OUR LIVES. AS YOU AGE IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THE NATURAL WAY WITH LIFE. AS WE AGE, THE MORE SIMPLE EVERYDAY IS THE BETTER WE LIKE IT. HAVEN'T MISSED ONE THING THUS FAR.


----------



## newfieannie

ladytoysdream said:


> Can you buy a older set used ? They made them better years ago.
> 
> If I had to pay 50 $ for mowing, trust me....I would have hay surrounding the house. All 2 acres of it


not if you lived in the middle of the city. not allowed. I only pay for it when my back is too bad.


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## pixiedoodle

how has everyone gotten thru the summer? we raised our thermostat & we are good with that. this winter i imagine we will do the reverse. we are just now getting some toms from the garden. i will can some no salt v-8 & tom. juice to enjoy this winter. if we get enough toms i will can some of those as well. this is not the best garden we've had. however i still have tom soup & a few jars of jam etc etc in the basement so with the batches i do now it should keeps us fed for another winter & hopefully till the next summer crop comes thru. i gave away about 200 canning jars a few mths ago. still have nearly that many but a good deal of them are tiny jam jars. think i have found a taker for those. no takers in my subdivision ..all young families & nobody cans or preseves or even gardens but us old goats. i ama 73 & today i discovered the price of canning lids about blows my mind..i saw a box of 12 qt flat lids today at $3.79 for 12..no bands just flats!!! i don't know how anyone that cans a lot can pay that price just for a lid you will toss in the recyle bin! i may cook up my tom juice & v-8 juice & just freeze it. you could go broke paying nearly $4. for a dzn non reuseable canning lids. wow!! may have to re-think "canning" this yr. better consider cooking down & frzing. my juices. well i don't know if they are high because of demand or lack of demand. how's the prices in your areas?


----------



## Rchickenlady

pixiedoodle said:


> how has everyone gotten thru the summer? we raised our thermostat & we are good with that. this winter i imagine we will do the reverse. we are just now getting some toms from the garden. i will can some no salt v-8 & tom. juice to enjoy this winter. if we get enough toms i will can some of those as well. this is not the best garden we've had. however i still have tom soup & a few jars of jam etc etc in the basement so with the batches i do now it should keeps us fed for another winter & hopefully till the next summer crop comes thru. i gave away about 200 canning jars a few mths ago. still have nearly that many but a good deal of them are tiny jam jars. think i have found a taker for those. no takers in my subdivision ..all young families & nobody cans or preseves or even gardens but us old goats. i ama 73 & today i discovered the price of canning lids about blows my mind..i saw a box of 12 qt flat lids today at $3.79 for 12..no bands just flats!!! i don't know how anyone that cans a lot can pay that price just for a lid you will toss in the recyle bin! i may cook up my tom juice & v-8 juice & just freeze it. you could go broke paying nearly $4. for a dzn non reuseable canning lids. wow!! may have to re-think "canning" this yr. better consider cooking down & frzing. my juices. well i don't know if they are high because of demand or lack of demand. how's the prices in your areas?


Yes, lids are high in price. My neighbors get together and buy in bulk, like truckloads, and sometimes you can find them in different places or yard sales for less. The Mennonite stores from their homes or farms are usually a few cents less. Shurfine would knock off 10-15 per cent by buying a case. I saw an interesting sign at the Mennonite store warning customers that this year's 'new and improved' , as the package says, will not seal if you use the new bands. You have to use old bands on new jars. Doesn't make sense, but these ladies can major scale, and I respect their advice. Personally, I stocked up a couple of years ago with a sale, discount promo and tax exempt at Runnings. They keep indefinitely. I believe walmart and like stores charge in the range you quoted.


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## 101pigs

pixiedoodle said:


> how has everyone gotten thru the summer? we raised our thermostat & we are good with that. this winter i imagine we will do the reverse. we are just now getting some toms from the garden. i will can some no salt v-8 & tom. juice to enjoy this winter. if we get enough toms i will can some of those as well. this is not the best garden we've had. however i still have tom soup & a few jars of jam etc etc in the basement so with the batches i do now it should keeps us fed for another winter & hopefully till the next summer crop comes thru. i gave away about 200 canning jars a few mths ago. still have nearly that many but a good deal of them are tiny jam jars. think i have found a taker for those. no takers in my subdivision ..all young families & nobody cans or preseves or even gardens but us old goats. i ama 73 & today i discovered the price of canning lids about blows my mind..i saw a box of 12 qt flat lids today at $3.79 for 12..no bands just flats!!! i don't know how anyone that cans a lot can pay that price just for a lid you will toss in the recyle bin! i may cook up my tom juice & v-8 juice & just freeze it. you could go broke paying nearly $4. for a dzn non reuseable canning lids. wow!! may have to re-think "canning" this yr. better consider cooking down & frzing. my juices. well i don't know if they are high because of demand or lack of demand. how's the prices in your areas?


Been my best year. Garden is great. Sold a lot of god Pork, Beef, and chicken. People like the farm raised product. 
Got my jury notice today. Hope to get out of that. If you can't see good and hard of hearing they don't want you. Other ways of getting out of it also.  What what did they say.


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## whiterock

side effect of my cancer meds keeps me out.


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## GTX63

Been an amazing year for watermelons and our garden in general. We even have a late planting of corn that is moving right along. I will be very happy with a jam packed pantry this fall.


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## gilberte

One of our worst years ever in the garden. About a third of the peas we usually get, only about a tenth of the corn germinated, our tomatoes are just now starting to ripen (about three weeks late). About the only things that did well were the carrots and jalapeno peppers (the plants are the size of small trees). The peaches were about three weeks late and never developed any sweetness to them, the grapes aren't even ripe yet, nor are any of the apples. Oh well, there's always next year.


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## Oregon1986

My garden was severely affected by the lack of bee's this year and a lot of locals are having same problem. In spring next year I am going to spurge and get some bee boxes


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## doc-

101pigs said:


> Been my best year. Garden is great. Sold a lot of god Pork, Beef, and chicken. People like the farm raised product.
> Got my jury notice today. Hope to get out of that. If you can't see good and hard of hearing they don't want you. Other ways of getting out of it also.  What what did they say.


I've always felt sorry for the criminals entering our justice system. Their fate is going to be decided by 12 guys too dumb to get out of jury duty. 

Record wet spring here this year: peas, onions, beans & tomatoes lousy. Planting corn was delayed by wet, then mini-drought right at tassel time. Pathetic ears. Potatoes, strawberries, raspberries & apples all normal yields.


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## BobbyB

I retired in December with a rocky start the first two months due to a severe case of pneumonia and a long time getting on my feet , then being so out of shape.

Once I was out and about again I worked long and hard taking care of things that had been put off due to lack of time while I was working.

Our hardheaded off great, but the hear got it earlier this year than normal, early June.

The last two month's daily highs have been 98-105 and it usually hits the 97-98 mark before noon. I get out and do all my feeding and things that need doing early and try to be finished by 10.

After that I may go run errands if I have some or just get inside and stay out of the heat. I cook supper fairly often since school started again since Karla is a teacher. Lightened her work load a bit.

I need to be working on the fall garden but it's still so hot and no rain is predicted thru October and that kills motivation.


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## happy hermits

I can a lot and all year long. I buy my lids at Walmart online you pay online pick them up at store. I pay $1.37 cents a dozen for regular lids. I also use a lot of bail top jars with the rubbers that you can reuse many times if you are careful opening them. One tip for using the rubbers boil them for fifteen minutes before using them on your jar to make them soft.


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## pixiedoodle

GREAT PRICE ON THOSE LIDS THRU WALMART! I WILL CHECK THAT OUT. COOKED UP A FEW MEAL ITEMS A COUPLE DAYS AGO SO I CAN JUST REHEAT QUITE A FEW MEALS THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE HAVE/HAD DR VISITS MULTIPLE TIMES THIS WEEK. SO MUCH EASIER THAN TRYING TO COOK AFTER SPENDING DAYS RUNNING FOR DR VISITS & EYE SURGERY , TESTS ETC ETC. MAYBE NEXT WEEK WILL BE LESS HECTIC & ALL OF THE PRE COOKED ITEMS WILL BE FINISHED OFF . ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE ITEMS READY TO REHEAT ON HECTIC DAYS & WEEKS. SINCE IT IS SEPTEMBER WE ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT SOUPS & WARM WINTER MEALS SOON ON THE MENU. I DID FIND A FEW CNTAINERS OF SUPS I MADE LAST SPRING & FROZE. GOOD TO GET US STARTED BEFORE LONG .


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## mzgarden

Wow, even in bulk I can't find wide mouth lids for less than $2.80 a dozen. If someone has a link for cheaper wide mouth lids (no rings), it would be much appreciated.


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## ladytoysdream

When I am in the stores, I price the canning jar lids. HORRIBLE prices.
Good thing I have a good stash of new lids. Was thinking of selling some of them
because I only can jam now. The ones I got I paid $ 1 or 1.50 a dozen years ago.
I won't be selling any of the wide mouth lids though. That is what I have the most
of for jars. I may at some point do up some meat again. Been thinking of doing
the dog his food in the canner. Should try a batch as a test run one of these days.

My garden would have done great., but I only got a small one in. I just dug the potatoes.
I have a MONSTER pumpkin plant but still don't know what kind it is. It was one that
sprouted from a seed from what I fed the birds. I should have moved it when it was
tiny but I let it stay where it was. I water it a lot  I should take a pic of it.

Been getting stocked up on items, I don't want to run out of this winter.
My laundry detergent was the most frustrating. Dollar Tree carries this Awesome
brand and it's good stuff. The one store runs out of it constantly. The other
store is a bit of a walk to get to from the parking lot. Yesterday I took my metal
laundry cart with me and shopped with that. It has 4 wheels and quite sturdy.
So I got 8 bottles of the detergent plus the 4, I already got, should be enough.
This way I did not have to play the shopping cart game. Get one , use it, and
then find a cart corral to put it in when done. My cart probably won't work for
a really big order, but it's not the way I normally shop.


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## happy hermits

I can a lot and all year long. I buy my lids at Walmart online you pay online pick them up at store. I pay $1.37 cents a dozen for regular lids. I also use a lot of bail top jars with the rubbers that you can reuse many times if you are careful opening them. One tip for using the rubbers boil them for fifteen minutes before using them on your jar to make them soft.


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## pixiedoodle

I HAVE CANNED ONLY 2 LOADS OF TOM SOUP & SPGTY SAUCE THIS YR. I MIGHT CAN A LOAD OF TOMS BUT NOT SURE. OUR TOMS HAVE PROB PEAKED IN PRODUCTION SO NOT SURE IF WE SHOUD ENJOY THE REMAINDER AS FRESH OR CAN TEM FOR WINTER USE. THINK I AM LEANING TOWARD WINTER USE. THIS MAY BE MY LAST YR OF CANNING. BUT THEN, I THINK THAT IS THE CASE EVERY YEAR. HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO BE ESPCIALLY HARD THIS YR. I ACTUALLY CANNED SPGTY SCE IN HALF PINT JARS LAST NITE BECAUSE WE DON'T EAT MANY SPGTY MEALS ANY LONGER & I CANNOT FIND A STORE BRAND OF SPGTY SAUCE THAT DOESN'T CONTAIN A BAZILLION SPOONS OF SALT IN IT...SOMETHING I CAN NO LONGER HAVE MUCH OF . WHAT I MADE WAS FAIRLY GOOD & I WON'T MISS THE SODIUM. I WILL MAKE MY OWN TOM JUICE IF I HAVE NEOUGH PRODUCT TO WORK WITH. 
WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE LIFE A LITTLE TASTIER & LOWER IN SODIUM & WHAT TASTES GOOD TO US. JUST SEEMS TO BE A LOT HARDER TO ACCOMPLISH EVERY YEAR I GET OLDER. CANNING USE TO BE WHAT I LOOKED FORWARD TO EVERY SUMMER BUT NOW I THINK IT IS NOT SO EXCITING.


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## pixiedoodle

CANNED A LOAD OF TOM JUICE YEST. & COOKED DOWN 10 QT OF GREEN BEANS & POTS FOR THE FRZR. TODAY I COOKED DOWN ANOTHER BIG BATCH OF GREEN BEANS & POTS FOR THE FRZR. THINK I HAVE ALMOST AS MUCH AS YESTERDAYS BATCH.WON'T HAVE TO GROW ANY MORE FOR ANOTHER YR PLUSS I THINK. ALSO MADE 8 OR 9 PINTS OF TOM JUICE , UNSALTED YEST & TODAY U ORICESSED IT. GOT ANOTHER BATCH OF GREEN BEANS GOING NOW SO SHOULD BE DONE SOON. MAY HAVE ENOUGH TOMS TO DO ANOTHER BATCH OF TOM JUICE OR JUST CANNED TOMS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. BEANS ARE DONE FOR THE YR. HOPE TOMS ARE DONE FOR THE YR AS WELL. WELL I AM DONE WHETHER THEY ARE OR NOT.
I AM HAVING ANOTHER HEART PROCEDURE NOV 4TH SO ALL THIS GARDEN STUFF HAS GOT TO BE OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE THEN. WON'T BE DOING ANY MORE CANNING THE REST OF THE YR. PLANNING ON BEING ALL CAUGHT UP BY THE TIME THE SURGERY HAPPENS . HOPE THE REST OF THIS YR GOES SMOOTHLY. ALSO HOPE NO MORE HEART SURGERIES FOR A WHILE AT LEAST. LIFE ALWAYS HANDS YOU SOMETHING YOU WEREN'T PLANNING ON NOR EXPECTING..NOR WHAT YOU DON'T WANT. BUT IT'S JUST LIFE & WE JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD THE BEST WE CAN.
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GOOD PRODUCTIVE GARDEN THIS YEAR....WHAT'S EVERYONE CANNING THE MOST OF THIS YR.?


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## WMC

A couple of years ago we got a basic vacuum sealer and buy vacuum sealer rolls off ebay. We vacuum seal our vegetables and meat and have had good success with vacuum sealed foods in our freezer after almost 2 years of storage. I double seal the top and bottom of every bag we make as the excess juice from items like tomatoes can make the initial seal less than perfect. While our sealer has the option to use those one way bags with the zip lock tops those are too expensive compared to making your own bags and double sealing. I just dry the area where the second seal will be after the first vacuum seal has been made.


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## kotori

For canning, they make reuseable lids. I've heard both good and bad about it, but either way its an option. I've also heard that even though the lids are labled for one use only, they can seal two or three times on average. I guess it's on an individual basis for whether or not the 'risk' of having jars not seal is too high. Personally I'm thinking of using a dehydrator and vacuum sealer for just about everything. having a few canned 'instant meals' is nice, but dehydrating can do the same thing if you just add water.


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## happy hermits

I have tried the reusable lids and did not like them but that is just me. My sister has a vacuum sealer I have used it for cheese. I seal my parm cheese in it after it is brined and dried and age it in the file drawer in our cold room. We have a climate control room for keeping food . I helped clear out law office years ago and got these stacking file drawers for nothing we use them everywhere. I have some in my cold room that I keep sugar, flour,oatmeal and what ever . I can fit 104 pints of green beans in one drawer tow stacks.


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## whiterock

Old metal file cabinets are great storage containers, and usually mice proof. Insects can still get in but not mice if no holes are punched like for keyholes.


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## pixiedoodle

WE DECIDED THAT SINCE I AM HAVING ANOTHER HEART PROCEDURE & MY MIL HAS ORAL CANCER & WILL BE UNDERGOING SURGERY & RADIATION, THAT WE WON'T HAVE TIME TO MESS WITH ANY MORE GARDEN THIS YEAR. SO, WE PICKED ALL OF THE TOMS THIS MORNIG. I HAVE WASHED THEM ALL & HAVE THEM RIPENING -HOPEFULY- IN A BIG GREEN RECTANGULAR RECYCLE BIN IN THE KITCHEN. WE WILL EAT WHAT WE CAN, SHARE WHAT WE CAN & MAYBE CAN A FEW AS THEY RIPEN BEFORE THE HEART SURGERY . IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THEN NO LOSS AS WE WILL SHRE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS & CO-WORKERS ETC. PLANTS WILL BE CUT DOWN & PULLED AS WE HAVE TIME. THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YR. FOR MORE GARDENING.


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## WMC

pixiedoodle, sorry to hear about your and your MIL's health issues. Good luck and may you both have speedy recoveries.


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## pixiedoodle

WMC said:


> pixiedoodle, sorry to hear about your and your MIL's health issues. Good luck and may you both have speedy recoveries.


THANK YOU!


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## pixiedoodle

CANNED THE LAST 4 PINTS OF TOM JUICE THIS AFTERNOON. RAN OUT OF LIDS SO CALLING IT THE END. GOT CANNING GEAR READY TO GO TO THE BASEMENT FOR THE MOST PART. I HAVE THAT GIANT RECTANGULAT RECYCLY BIN HALF FULL OF TOMS. ALL GREEN. THINK THEY MAY LAST QUITE A WHILE & WILL OFFER THEM UP TO OUR NEIGHBRS. TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING OUT OF THE WAY & BE READY FOR THE HEART SURGERY AS THAT WILL TRUMP ALL FOR A WHILE. HOWEVER MY MIL WILL FIND OUT TOM HOW BAD HER ORAL CANCER IS. I'D RATHER HAVE HEART ISSUES THAN ORAL CANCER. SCARRY STUFF! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT KIND OF UGLY IN HER LIFE!


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## pixiedoodle

GOT ALL MY CANNING STUFF CLEANED UP & IT IS ALL BACK IN THE BASEMENT. I DID CAN 4 MORE PINTS OF TOM JUICE YEST & DRUG ALL THE CANNING EQUIP TO THE BASEMENT. SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF TOM JUICE & SOUP TO LAST A FULLL YR . I HOPE. THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YR. THINGS MAY BE TOTALLY DIF BY THIS TIME NEXT YR.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT GARDEN & IF NOT AT LEAST GOT SOME GOOD FROM THE GARDEN THIS YR. SOME YRS ARE GOOD & OHER YRS ARE NOT. WE HAD WAY TOO MUCH RAIN & IT SURE DISEASED THE TOM PLANTS QUICKLY. GREEN BEANS WERE FANTASTIC BUT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS DROWNED. 
WON'T BE LONG TILL THEY SEND OUT THE GARDEN CATALONGS & WE WILL ALL DREAM OF THE PERFECT GARDEN WE HAVE NEXT YR....


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## pixiedoodle

my mil got good news about her oral cancer.. removeal of the tumor will fix the issue. thankfully it was in the stage it can be removed & no radiation required!!!! what a relief!! dh will go back down & see to her while the surgery is going on & when she gets back home & re-coups for a wk or so. good news for sure!
ordered a new mattress on line. sure hope it works out. never ordered one on line before. hoping for the best. our old latex mattress is nothing but 2 grooves that we lay in so a new mattress is def. in order.


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## pixiedoodle

JUST MADE20 THICK WAFFLES FOR THE FRZR. OF COURSE I HAD TO SAMPLE ONE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE FIT FOR MY DH TO EAT...HAHA. THIS IS PROB. THE ONLY ONE I WILL GET OUT OF THIS BATCH. I HAVEN'T HEAD ANY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS & THIS SEEMED TO BEA A CLOUDY COLD WINTER DAY THAT IS PERFECT FOR MAKING A DOUBLE BATCH OF WAFFLES THINK I GOT 15 OUT OF THAT BATCH OF BATTER MINUS THE ONE I ATE! SHOULD BE GOOD FOR ANOTHER MONTH UNLESS DH DOES DOUBLE TIME ON THE WAFFLES...MAN! HE REALLY LOVES THOSE THINGS!!


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## vickinell

I switched from AT&T to Spectrum. $224 to $32. It would have been $14. But my phone was too old so for $32. I get service and a new phone. I had been paying for 2 granddaughters but since I am retired. They each got their own accounts.

This summer I also did not open my pool. I missed swimming my laps, enfact I have not swam all summer, but I saved big in water bills, electricity, chemicals, and time. I do hope to open it next year.


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## Evons hubby

vickinell said:


> I switched from AT&T to Spectrum. $224 to $32. It would have been $14. But my phone was too old so for $32. I get service and a new phone. I had been paying for 2 granddaughters but since I am retired. They each got their own accounts.
> 
> This summer I also did not open my pool. I missed swimming my laps, enfact I have not swam all summer, but I saved big in water bills, electricity, chemicals, and time. I do hope to open it next year.


I have an old timey swimming pool. No water bills, no pumps, no filters, no chemicals, it's self cleaning.... Fresh, clean water from numerous springs constantly run into it. Best part is it even stocks itself with bluegill and bass.


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## emdeengee

I know that I have written this before but once again it served a great purpose for us. When you are retired (or even before) it is quite important to add an "inflation" budget column. Every year everything goes up. We put 10% of our net income into the inflation budget and every year we us most of it to offset the increase in utilities and general household purchases. 

We also started an experiment - 2 years now - by living on what would be our retirement budget. Practice does really help to show where there are faults in the plan. Banking the extra into retirement funds.


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## pixiedoodle

GEART IDEA. I THINK IT WOULD DO US SOME GOOD TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD THIS COMING NEW YR. NOTHING EVER GOES DOWN BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING GOES UP. GREAT PLAN!


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## pixiedoodle

WE ARE GOING T BE LOOKING AT SMALL ITEMS THAT ADD UP QUICKLY & SEE IF WE CAN'T ELIMIATE A LOT OF THOSE "THINGS". ALTHO THEY ARE OFTEN LITTLE ODDS & ENDS THEY ADD UP AT THE END OF THE YR. WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO CUT BACK EATING OUT WHICH WE DON'T DO A LOT OF, BUT IT ADDDS UP. SO DO OUR LITTLE DOLLAR MENU ITEMS & ICE CREAM CONES AT BURGER KING . SEEMS SMALL BUT DOES ADD UP & WE COULD DO SOMETHING BETTER WITH THAT $$..GAS FOR THE CAR, MEDS ETC. I TAKE 23 PILLS A DAY & FEW ARE "CHEAP" SO THAT WILL HELP THERE FOR SURE. I AM SURE BY THE TIME I HAVE THIS NEXT HEART SURGERY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER 5 BOTTLES OF NEW MEDS TO TAKE FOR A WHILE. IT ALL ADDS UP NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL. LOTS OF LITTLE ODDS & END WE CAN DO TO SAVE A BIT HERE & THERE


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## jimLE

I've pretty well stoped eating out.only go to a store when i have a few items to get.rarely drink canned/botted soda now.i prepare meals that i get at least 2 or 3 meals from it.to cut down on electric and gas bills. with this cool front blow*ng throw allows me to open the front door and kitchen window.with the ac turned off


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## pixiedoodle

still have toms ripening in the house. put way all of my canning supplies & refuse to drag them back upstairs from the basement again. so, i cored some toms, dipped in boiling water & peeled them & got 4- 1 qt bags of tomatoes to put into the frzr. i suspect this time nex week i will be repeating this job. i can see that our tub of toms is going down faster than expected. can't make myself waste them & can't find anyone who wants green or partial green toms..... they don't seem to know they will eventually turn red! so, i wait for another batch to rippen & either eat them or frz them. the plants have been stripped clean & plants pulled up & we had quite a haul from the green plants. got to either get them frzn before heart surgery or eat them as they ripen afterward. i like the idea of both.


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## pixiedoodle

WE HAVE BEEN SAVING UP TO REPLACE OUR OLD KING SIZE LATEX MATTRESS. AS MUCH AS WE LOOOOOVED IT IT WAS DENTED WHERE WE SLEEP..LIKE SLEEPING IN 2 GROOVES. WE FINALLY BOT ONE OF THOSE MATTRESS IN A BOX. IT CAME A FEW DAYS AGO & WE HAD TO HAVE THE OLD 363LB LATEX MATTRESSRE MOVED...TOOK 3 BURLEY YOUNG MENT TO CARRY IT OUT OF HERE. NEW MATTRESS WAS ONE OF THOSE "HYBRID" MATTRESSES THAT HAS COILS COVERED WITH LATEX ON TOP 10". ONLY WEIGHS 200 LBS. AMAZING HOW THEY CAN HAVE THOSE SUCKED UP & ROLLED UP IN PLASTIC IN A BOX & WHEN YOU GET IT. ONCE YOU THAT ROLL ON THE BED & REMOVE THE PLASTIC IT COMES TO LIFE! WOW! CAN'T WAIT TO SLEEP ON IT. THEY EVEN ADDED BEDDING & SHREDDE LATEX PILLOWS. WE WENT WITH "PLUSH BEDS" & HOPE IT IS OUR LAST MATTRESS BUY!


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## oceantoad

Pixiedoodle, 
Know about the heart problems, but only defib/pacemaker, and all the pills that go with it. Pray that all goes well and that your quality of life improves. How is the mattress doing? 
I got rid of my cable and do not use my TV for even watching movies. Using room ac units instead of the central ac. Quit running two vehicles to cut insurance. Will probably go back to two vehicles since my insurance dropped 41 per cent.


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## lmrose

From June 1st to Oct 1st we shut the electric hot water tank off in the house trailer as well as the heat pump. We were camping at the farm anyway so that saved electricity to the tune of about $300 which I kept for this winter's bill. That along with a $200 heating rebate the government sends to low income people or those on Old Age Pensions ; will pay out electric bill from Oct to April 1st when we use the heat pump and hot water heater. Now it is cold weather we don't need to feel stressed or guilty for using the heat pump to stay warm.


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## pixiedoodle

WE GOT THE " HYBRID" MATTRESS FROM PLUSH BEDS. IT IS 10" OF LATEX OVER POCKETED COILS. ALTHO IT IS NICE IT IS NOT AS CUSHY AS WE THOT IT WOULD BE SO DH DECIDED WE NEEDED TO PUT THE 3" LATEX TOPPER ON TOP OF THE NEW MATTRESS. I HAVE TO SAY IT IS PRETTY DREAMY AT THIS POINT. SLEEP BETTER MOST NIGHTS TOO. WE HAVEN'T PURCHASED A NEW MATTRESS FOR MANY YRS. LAST ONE WE GOT WAS IN 2003 AT PENNYS OUTLET & IT GAVE OUT WITHIN A FEW MTHS AND COLLAPSED ON ONE SIDE. WE TOOK PICTURES & TOOK THEM WITH US & THEY TOLD US TO PICK OUT ANY SET WE WANTED REGAURDLESS OF $$. SO, WE GOT THE BIGGEST THICKEST KING SET THEY HAD. IT IS NICE BUT SLEEPS LIKE A CONCRETE SLAB! GLAD IT IS ON THE GUEST BED FOR SURE! OUR NEXT GOAL IS TO FIND ANOTHER AFFORDABLE LATEX TOPPER FOR THAT GUEST BED AS WELL. ALSO, WHEN WE GOT THAT REPLACEMENT SET, WE HAD TO DISSPOSE OF THE COLLAPSED SET OURSELVES & HAUL THE NEW REPLACEMENT OURSELVES, BUT WE HAD A TRUCK BACK THEN & THOT NOTHING OF IT.


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## pixiedoodle

WE DON'T HAVE 10" OF LATEX OVER COILS WE ONLY HAVE 3" OF LATEX OVER THE COILS...GUESS I JUST HAD EXTRA 7" OF LATEX IN MY DREAMS!!


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## pixiedoodle

ADDED THE 3" LATEX TOPPER TO OUR NEW MATTRSS..OH! HEAVENLY! NOW IF WE COULD UST GET USE TO THE SHREDDED LATEX PILLOWS THEY SENT TO US! THEY ARE SOFT & FLUFFY BUT JUST CAN'T GET THEM IN QUITE THE RIGHT "SUPPORT" ZONE. WE GIVE UP AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR & GO BACK TO OUR TEMPUOEDIC PILLS WE'VE HAD SINCE 1999...STILL FEEL GOOD.


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## pixiedoodle

TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE STORES UNLESS WE ARE OUT OF SOMETHING VITAL. TRYING TO MAKE SURE I FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS NEEDED BEFORE I GO TO THE STORE THEN FOLLOW MY LIST. TRY TO MAKE A MENU PLAN EACH WEEK & ALWAYS INCORPORATE THE LEFTOVERS AS BEST WE CAN. WE EAT RETTY SIMPLE BASIC STUFF & ENJOY THE CHANLLENGE OF MAKING SOMETHING NEW FROM THE LEFTOVERS.
LEFT-0VERS: THEY'RE A GOOD THING & SAVES $$ & NO WASTE.


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## altair

Neither my husband or myself have cell phones of any kind and we don't have traditional TV (we have one we play video games on but no stations). We converted to solar power so although we have a loan for that, in under 10 years we'll have hardly any electric bill. All of our cars are bought used so no payments. 

I want goats in the spring though so there goes the budget!


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## Micheal

Falling into the medicare "doughnut hole" was quite a shock and most likely continue to be really painful until next year. Although next year some of the drugs the wife and I are on go from $0.00 this year to a $5.00 co-pay and of course others are scheduled to increase as well. 
Oh well, such is life.......


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## pixiedoodle

FOUND OUT THOSE SHREDDED LATEX PILLOWS MAKE WONDERFUL HUGGER PILLS. I NEED THAT ESPECIIALLY NOW AFTER THIS HEART SURGERY. ALLOWS ME TO SLEEP ON SIDE & IT JUST CONFORMS TO YOU & ISN'T STIFF NOR HOT. BEGINNING TO LOVE IT BUT DON'T THINK I COULD EVER USE IT AS A REG ILLOW BECAUSE IT IS SO SOFT & FLEXIBLE. WHEN IT IS REALLY COLD, ONE IN THE FRONT & ONE ON THE BACKSIDE FEELS PRETTY GOOD.


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## pixiedoodle

cooked a pot of mixed lentil soup & makde 4 boxes of spicey jiffy pone & 4 baked apples with red hots. about wore me to a nib!! but i was feeling storonger but most likely over-did it. went to bed early & slept great half the nite & did a lot of waking-sleeping" the rest of it. got dood report on healing thus far from the surg. nurse so moving forward. got lots of leftovers as far as lentil soup & corn bread so that should get us thru another day +. nothing beats a baked jonathn apple. hope i can find some med size at least for thanks giving. we have decided on grt northern beans , sweet cornbread with cayenne, honey baked ham sands. red hots baked jobathns & a pumpkin pie -cake


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## pixiedoodle

TRYING TO AVAOID A TRIP TO THE STORE BUT IT WON'T LAST LONG AS I AM RUNNING OUT OF SOME BASICS LIKE SUGAR FLOUR ETC. TRYING TO USE UP FRIDGE FRZR STUFF. SINCE I CAN'T DRIVE YET IT KEEPS ME OUT OF ANY STORE/JUNK STORE. WELL I CAN'T DRIVE YET SO I'D HAVE TO HAVE DH TAKE ME BEFORE R AFTER WORK SO JUST STAYING INDOORS.
GETTING BAK ON THE TREADMILL TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SLOW SPEED & ABOUT 10 MINS IF I CAN EVEN GO THAT LONG. DR SAYS SLOW & LOW.
QUITE COLD HERE ALTHO THE SUN IS SHINNING SO GETTING OUT SIDE IS NOT HAPPENING MUCH. I DID GO OUT & OICK UP AFTER THE DOGS THIS MORNING. BURRR! DONE FOR THE DAY!


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## pixiedoodle

made huge pot of ckn & noodles to take some to m-i-l's for thanksgiving & the rest will go to the fridge & the frzr. if weather is ok we will go to table rock lake & have thanksgiving with mil & then home the next day. going to take cn & noodles for mil since she is still undergoing some sever side effects of the oral cancer surgery. hope ckn ndles will be easty for her to eat.
got quite a bit of soups & will had the remainder ckn & ndles to the frzr. i think the only one i haven't maid is chzy potato chowder & may do that next week. still haven't had thanks giving with our kids & their m-in -law,
found a bunch of ckn tenders in the fraa so will be cooking a few of those in the coming few wks. trying to stya out f the store exceot for frsh produce.


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## lmrose

We don't buy much from a store but we do get a few things. One is Haddock fillets. It sold for $4.99 a kilogram which is 2 1/2 lbs. It was packaged to be under a kilogram and I never paid more than $4.00 a package. It was enough fish for Bill and me and the cat for a meal. In one week the price for fresh Haddock has risen to $17.99 a kilogram. They still packaged it to come in under $4 but the package had less than half the fish it previously had at the lower price. There wasn't enough fish in the package for a meal now. So unless the price drops we will be going fishing somewhere!
I was out of yeast which was my fault because I missed it on the list when stocking up for winter. What a shock when I went to buy yeast for bread making and it was $10. for what amounted to about a cup and half or less of dry yeast. I hesitated to buy it but we needed bread so I did this time. My new project will be making sour dough bread.
Next I bought cheese and it was up to $7 and yogurt for about two cups or less ranged from $3.49 to $5 depending on the brand. Milk, yogurt, cheese one goat can provide for a fraction of the cost. We are seriously considering getting back to raising goats in the Spring. 
I feel really badly for families trying to feed growing children when basic food has gotten so expensive.
At least we still have hens because eggs a dozen for large or extra large ones run from $4 to $6 a dozen depending if they are hatchery hens or free ranged . Even though hen laying pellets are up to $19.50 a bag. That will last six hens quite some time and is cheaper than buying eggs. 
I keep cutting back what we buy for food but the last few items are getting so expensive it won't be long and we will be totally food independent except for flour and oats.


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## ama7

newfieannie said:


> it's difficult for me to explain Gilbert why it could never work. probably the length of time I've been at it. dad use to say I could read when I was 3. we had a little room under the stairs and that's where they would find me with one of dads books from his library. I grew up with hundreds of books. when dad was home he had 3 or 4 going the same time same as I do. books are ingrained in me.
> 
> I love to feel the pages and sometimes I buy a book for it's beautiful jacket not even knowing what it's about. love to rummage around in old book stores. there are books in my car for waiting at the dealers while most everyone else is in front of tv. waiting in traffic at construction sites (which has been going on here for a year.) etc.etc
> 
> at night I curl up in my chair with a book and lose myself in whatever is going on in that book. I find them physically pleasurable. my bro. is the same way . he doesn't have one either . he visited last year and between his books and mine there wasn't much room when we would sit and read at night. and not only that we both read out loud. but we both get lost in a book like our father and it didn't bother either of us. we just didn't hear each other. we had a bell on the table between our chairs when we wanted to discuss something in our books.
> 
> I do go to one of the libraries (which is only 5 min. and 10 min from my home ) and sit and read a bit. I'm into old English history and I do get that on the computer once in awhile. but nah a device wouldn't do it for me. but hey I never said I wasn't weird.
> 
> I do know I'm not alone though . I have a couple professor friends over at the university who are the same way. i had one of them visiting when my bro was here and he was down in the den with his books. (he couldn't take our reading out loud) not everyone has a kindle ~Georgia


And out of the blue you have a STROKE! I now cannot hold my hundreds of books but can manage my kindles. Thank goodness for kindles.


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## ladytoysdream

ama7 , hi and welcome to this forum and to this thread.
Hope you can get better.


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## newfieannie

I only buy my haddock( which that and chicken is mostly what I live on) when it is on sale and then I buy 30 lbs or so. that will tied me over till it goes on sale again. I was over this morning. the prices on fish is crazy today. because of the holidays I'm sure. good thing I don't eat lobster. lot of folks buying that today.

I've given up in the last 3 or 4 months trying to save . every week there's something big going on here. i'll start again in January hopefully. surely nothing else can go wrong. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy

It seems to go in spurts, doesn't it? You have a time you can save, and then one where EVERYTHING unexpected pops up and everything you were saving goes to pay for the unexpected. Looks like I'll be paying a touch over 1K for furnace stuff this month.

Mon


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## In The Woods

frogmammy said:


> It seems to go in spurts, doesn't it? You have a time you can save, and then one where EVERYTHING unexpected pops up and everything you were saving goes to pay for the unexpected. Looks like I'll be paying a touch over 1K for furnace stuff this month.
> 
> Mon


We struggle to be able to save to get ahead - responding to that below.

I have all my expenses listed and make both a monthly and annual budget. I strive to meet that. I know where every penny goes. But living in a 90 year old house and a yet older barn it’s always something.

Although it’s hard, I realize that we may be gaining on it just a little. 2014 we had a new furnace installed. 2016 a new kitchen range. 2017 a new water heater (thanks to a power company program we were able to get a hybrid heat pump water heater). This year was a new water pump that should have been replaced 5 years ago.

I sit here this time of year and list all my big bills for the year so there are no surprises. That way, for instance, my property taxes are due the end of May. Starting January I will put back 1/4 of that amount each month so I can pay it on time. But no matter how much planning and thinking what might need replaced in the coming year something always breaks that I will never think of.



Alice In TX/MO said:


> Making the shift from two incomes to one much smaller one.
> 
> It’s a learning experience.


Learning experience is right!

Back in 2008 my wife had to stop working due to an injury. Making a very long story short she was not eligible for any disability or workers comp. So we went from 2 incomes to one instantly. Then in 2013 I got a nasty case of RA and had to stop working. Another long story but we went from my single income to 1/3 of what it was.

6 years later now and I think we are just starting to settle down financially from all that. It’s been a very very long road but we were able to keep our beautiful (old) place here in the mountains through it all for which I am eternally grateful. It’s amazing how what used to be “needs” quickly turned into “wants” and weren’t actually needed.


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## whiterock

Went in to get teeth cleaned, came out with 4 new fillings in front teeth, not decayed, just worn down and cupped.


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## ladytoysdream

Been doing good making ends meet, but more than once, I continue to amaze myself.

Yesterday we stopped at a thrift store. It's a small one and the prices are more than fair.
Hubby came in but usually he does not. He brought the dog in and nobody complained.
Our dog is very friendly and well behaved. So the dog is checking out things and being good.
Next thing I know, some lady is showing my husband some rubber boots. Me, I am checking out the
yarn and crafts stuff. Well hubby must have said something to the cashier and this other customer
over heard his request and showed him where they were. Not in the men's section, because I had
already checked because of a bag sale. So the boots had a cut in the leg area, but the foot section
was good. Well hubby wanted them. So the cost was $ 6 but because of the cut, I got them marked
down to $ 3. After we got home, hubby got out the duct tape and some glue and mended them.
These boots are like $ 100 or more new. Very nice condition. A little big, but they will work.
I guess hubby did not dare to ask for new boots from TSC again. His first pair this winter, they got a nasty
gash in the foot section in the woods. Had to get him a second pair new. They too, got ripped somehow ,
same spot as the first pair. Here's your sign.

I got 10 craft booklets and a skein of yarn. Total $ 2. Already sold one of the books for $ 5.
So our purchases were free yesterday from that store


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## Alice In TX/MO

Making the shift from two incomes to one much smaller one. 

It’s a learning experience.


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## newfieannie

one good thing I was out shopping today. bought my son 2 sweatshirts and 3 pairs wool socks for me. paid with my debit. was in a hurry and I found what I wanted . I was gonna have it anyway . 

didn't realize until I got home all of that was on sale. got 2 lovely Denver Hayes long sleeve sweat shirts for my son and 3 pairs T-max heat heavy socks for me for 65 dollars. good price for here.I wear socks always around the house and out on the deck. need heavy ones. first time I found size 12 so bought the last 3 pairs they had while I was at it. I wear lighter socks underneath. ~Georgia


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## ladytoysdream

You have to scroll back to see what I just wrote.
see # 395
that number is twice 
Now it shows a double
Sigh.
It still is out of number order,

also 394 shows on 2 different ones.


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## newfieannie

whiterock said:


> Went in to get teeth cleaned, came out with 4 new fillings in front teeth, not decayed, just worn down and cupped.


one good thing though you Have teeth. well, I have them too but I had to buy mine.


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## jimLE

Put new wiper blades on the càr the other day.hàd good used tire's and new brake pads for the front end yesterday.now to take it through a drive through car Wash ànd vacuum it out,then use spot shot where it's needed. been stocking up on food and water.


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## Alice In TX/MO

Went to Goodwill and got a painted toy box on casters. I am going to repaint it and use it in the loft for storage and a bedside table. $15.


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## emdeengee

I just had to redo our planned retirement budget as we forgot that we will need a cell phone since husband's work phone will not be coming into retirement with him. I did leave wiggle room and wonder what else we have not thought about. Not worried because as 65 year old residents one of us is entitled to a $500 yearly credit for city utilities (water, sewer, garbage).


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## pixiedoodle

seems like i have been making lots of extra containers of cooked northern beans & ckn & noodles. sddenly everyone i know is asking for them for thanksgiving & christmas. i think i have made enough of both to feed 20+ people the last few weeks. my sil had never had beans & pone before so he thinks it is now the best thing ever! glad to oblige. taking both + corn bread to my mil's & having it here for xmas & thanksgiving & some in the freezer. i have about a dzn containers of soups in the frzr too so looks like a lot of soup & sandwiches this winter. love making something good with leftovers & especialy soups.


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## MrSteve

No changes here. The bottom side of the rock looks the same.


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## newfieannie

I freeze a lot also but my son picks it up once a week. today I made a beef and rice casserole from the leftover roast. he already picked up everything else this morning along with a box cookies


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## emdeengee

This is just a continuation of my previous post which I did not attach before. 

We have been living on a practice retirement budget for a while now which has been enormously helpful in showing us the weak areas and also allowing us to save more - the money we still have from earned income but that which we will not have on pensions.

You try to think of everything but ... Both of us forgot that we will have to have a cell phone as my husband's is a work phone. I have never even had to use one as I am always accompanied.

We need a land line to have phones on all floors of the house and a cell for when we have left home simply because of our location and my illness.

It was quite shocking to see the price of cell phones and service but we are the most expensive country and even more expensive for those of us in the north. But we have had over 15 years of free cell phone use (work and personal use) so we are grateful for that work benefit. So I have had to make cuts in other budget categories to cover this new expense when we start living only on our pensions, later this year.

It seems that in personal finances you have your income and then it is taken away by expenses and then you receive more of an income or a possible grant or tax return but then something else increases. We have a 10% Inflation savings budget (from net income) that we hope will be enough to meet inflation and price increases from year to year. To do this and plan ahead does mean having to cut bits and pieces from all of the lesser budget categories. I see that the only clothes we will be buying will continue to be from the thrift stores - except for underwear socks and shoes. Always find good clothes and bargains there.


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## ladytoysdream

Well still making ends meet, but there are days that things happen and
cause some interesting bumps in the road.
Ended up giving up soda. And it looks like the hubby is almost there also.
He drinks root bear and I can't stand it, so his bottle is safe from me. His last
bottle lasted quite awhile, and now he is out, and if he don't complain, I won't buy
any more of it. Been buying apple juice in a 64 ounce bottle for $ 1.09.
I usually get like 3 of them at a time. Cider is real good but more pricey.
Sometimes I make kool aide and that is okay. Other than that, I drink water
and only 1 cup of coffee a day. I don't drink tea, or milk. I love orange juice
but can't seem to justify the cost.

We recently stocked up on turkey for the freezer. When the price hit 50 cents a
pound, I bought  Also ended up with a free one from a turkey giveaway event.

The new SS increase did not help me. Because my health premium ate it up.
So still getting the same amount for the net payment, this will be the 3rd year in a row.


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## Grafton County Couple

For the misses/me it's "cut your coat according to your cloth".


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## emdeengee

Our retirement includes setting aside a 10% of net income budget for inflation every month. The government idea of what is inflation covers many things but leave out a lot as well. Keeping track of expenses and prices from year to year is really the only way to know what has changed and this will be different in every geographic region.

Everything goes up in price every year so it is vital to still save for this. You can cut expenses, be as self -sufficient as possible but eventually you will not be able to cut any more and lose the ability to do all that you used to do. Just the reality of age.


----------



## frogmammy

As far as phone costs are concerned...check out Ting, or TracFone. Used Tracfone for a couple decades. Recently left Ting and went back to Tracfone because my needs changed. Ting charges for what you ACTUALLY use, AFTER you've used it. I spent 2-3 years with a $7 a month phone bill using them, and still had a cell phone when I needed one. But, I needed more data now, so went back to Tracfone on a prepaid $15 a month charge, with rollover for minutes and data.

Mon


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## jimLE

I'm using a safelink phone through track phone.in which it don't cost me 1cent,i have another phone,but with a invalid sim càrd.i use it 2hen I have wifi internet access.a and the safelink phone when I don't.


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## frogmammy

There ya go!

Mon


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## ladytoysdream

I am throwing this idea out there and hoping a few of you might find it useful 

If a member of your household is over 60, consider the meals on wheels program .
if your county has them. They bring a hot lunch 5 days a week. A bag lunch for 
supper and frozen meals for the weekend. They suggest a minimal donation. 
If you don't have it, you don't have to pay. A driver will bring it to you. 

I thought it was a interesting idea with this covid mess going on.


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## alida

Meals on Wheels is a great program! It's wonderful that the program in your area offers meals that do not have fixed prices. Here in Ontario there is a cost, it's not a big cost but people are expected to pay a fixed price per meal with very few exceptions. Donations cover the rest of the costs. I guess that different provinces and states have different rules. 

My aunt/uncle used to deliver meals once a week and they loved it. For some people that one minute at the door was the only time they spoke to anyone that day so it was sometimes hard to keep the conversation to the one minute meet, greet and hand over the container(s).


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## emdeengee

Our full retirement kicks in in March. We have been "practicing' retirement for a few years now. Living on an estimated retirement budget, saving the extra income and making improvements to our life. I admit that I was quite worried in the beginning as to whether or not we would be able to live as we wanted when retired. Making a very detailed and strict budget not only showed us the weak points (which gives you time to make changes) but has led to confidence that we will have enough even with inflation. Every dollar counts so every dollar should have a job in your retirement including continuing to save.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO

Due to Covid changing around the business world, I have taken a DEEP income cut. There is a commercial property near downtown Austin in the Trust that I manage. The property is leased by a dry cleaner as a pick up/drop off location. The Trust has waived their rent from last April until next May, then we will reevaluate. I expect that they don't have enough business traffic to stay in the lease after that. I also expect that a new lessee of any kind will not have the cash flow to pay the current rate, so that will be less income, but more than now.

I have teacher's retirement income (which includes a supplemental health insurance policy) and Medicare coverage. Due to the REALLY stupid pension laws in Texas, I don't get a Social Security payment. 

I'm pretty darn frugal just in general, thank goodness. Anyway, I'm not eating out as much, but I've long preferred home cooking. I'm selling homegrown citrus fruit at the Farmer's Market. I have a HUGE backlog of Audible book credits that I'm using. I don't have a television cable or satellite bill. My house is designed to have VERY low utility bills. 

My life is arranged so that just about all driving miles are attributable to one business or another. That keeps the income taxes down. 

Ah, well. Just muddling along.


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## mzgarden

Every year I plant more in the garden. This year we will continue our focus on fruits because we're pretty comfortable with the veg. We got some new to us berries/grapes that will yield faster than new fruit trees and that will hopefully eliminate another element from the market.


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## dodgesmammaw

Funny Meals on Wheels was mentioned. I signed my 84 and 82 years old folks up today. Mom was mad at me but Dad was thrilled. Mom has Alzheimer’s but does not realize how bad things are. I told her to give it a try. Hopefully they will enjoy it. She might stop telling me how broke they are. That is a whole other can of worms. Let’s just say casinos eat your money when you go too often!!


----------



## emdeengee

I have written this about our retirement budget before but think it is important to mention it again. We always put 10% of our net retirement income into an “Inflation Account” simply because every year everything goes up in price and the income increases do not match the expense increases. 

The increases may be small or large but they certainly bite deeply into the money you actually have to spend over a year.

Examples from the past couple of years. 

Internet $3 a month = $36 per year

Telephone $1 a month = $12 per year

Sewer and Water $4 per month -= $48 per year

Garbage $2 per month - $24 per year

Property Tax $250 per year (nothing this year for the first time ever!) - $250 per year

Property Insurance $142 last year and $155 this year = $297 in two years or 148.50 per year

Car Insurance dropped $75 per year – minus $75

Groceries we added $100 a month in two years = $1200 per year

A total of $1643.50 of additional expenses added to our retirement budget (not everything included). Thankfully we have the Inflation Account to cushion the increases. 

We can of course cut back and cut things out completely (no more sweets or soft drinks in our food budget and cheaper car insurance because we drive a lot less especially for outings) but there are things we have no control over. 

We have searched for cheaper but still dependable property insurance but everyone is increasing their prices. Nothing surprising as the Insurance industry did warn us that with all the natural disasters from climate change around the world insurance was going to go up dramatically in price and also be more limited in what the companies will cover.


----------



## ladytoysdream

I been trying to keep a cushion in case of unexpected expenses. 

Today grocery shopping in a store, I find quite pricey, I was still able 
to find some bargains. I had a small gift card to the store I needed to use. 
I found frozen pumpkin pies for $ 2 each. Must have been on sale, because 
still in code date. So I got 3 to put in the freezer. They have to be cooked. 
Can't put the ingredients together to beat this price. 

And I found some dry bean soup, 16 kinds in one bag. Goya brand. 
It was $ 2.49 a 1 pound bag. I just did a google search and see I can 
get if for $ 1.99 at another store locally. I would have searched it before 
this but I did not know a company that made it. Now I know  
It's a comfort food way back when for me. 
So I guess I need to get out of my comfort zone more often and 
go to different grocery stores. Aldi's is great for most stuff I get but 
just does not have the bigger selections.


----------



## ladytoysdream

I been working on different ideas for the birds. I have bantams and only 3 regular size, the leghorns. 
I also have some ducks. I got some free dry dog food at 20 % protein and put in a bowl with water to 
get it soft. The chickens seem to like it. The price of their regular grain keeps going up. 
I also have the garden and the birds enjoy what I give them from that. Any surplus eggs I hard boil 
and feed to the birds minus the shells. My ducks also enjoy the eggs as a treat. 

Going to do a inventory checkup soon for what we need in the house. 
Would rather stay home and not have to go out too much this winter in this Covid mess.


----------



## jimLE

Sometimes a person has to spend money to save money.so I bought a food saver.now my next shopping trip is coming up.the food saver is allowing me to stock on meat.in which a certain amount of meat will go into food saver bags.my next to buy item will be a pastacio sheller. Then most of them will go into food saver bags.


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## emdeengee

You do have to spend money to save money. One of the most important budget categories we have is for Stocking Up. It is separate funding from our standard grocery and household budget. This allows us to buy huge quantities of items when they are on sale without using up our basic grocery budget. We have saved thousands of dollars over the years by spending thousands but always buying on sale. 

We also keep a price book of our items showing the best sales prices we get and very importantly when the sales take place. Where is also needed. 

Last month we stocked up on toilet paper again. Enough to last until next summer. The reason was that this was the best price for the best toilet paper in over a year. Half price. Normally $34.99 but on for $17.99. 10 Packs and we saved $170. A bit hard to find storage for these huge packs but we managed. 

And of course we bought with the card that gives us grocery points. Buy putting all of our expenses on this credit card which gives points for all purchases we get between $800 and $1000 of free groceries every year. We pay the card off at the end of each month so never pay interest and there is no annual fee on the card.


----------



## Evons hubby

emdeengee said:


> You do have to spend money to save money. One of the most important budget categories we have is for Stocking Up. It is separate funding from our standard grocery and household budget. This allows us to buy huge quantities of items when they are on sale without using up our basic grocery budget. We have saved thousands of dollars over the years by spending thousands but always buying on sale.
> 
> We also keep a price book of our items showing the best sales prices we get and very importantly when the sales take place. Where is also needed.
> 
> Last month we stocked up on toilet paper again. Enough to last until next summer. The reason was that this was the best price for the best toilet paper in over a year. Half price. Normally $34.99 but on for $17.99. 10 Packs and we saved $170. A bit hard to find storage for these huge packs but we managed.
> 
> And of course we bought with the card that gives us grocery points. Buy putting all of our expenses on this credit card which gives points for all purchases we get between $800 and $1000 of free groceries every year. We pay the card off at the end of each month so never pay interest and there is no annual fee on the card.


How does spending money on toilet paper save money? One wash cloth plus a bit of soap and water is way cheaper and does a better job.


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## Terri

I crush up any excess eggs shell and all. It gives them extra calcium.


----------



## emdeengee

Evons hubby said:


> How does spending money on toilet paper save money? One wash cloth plus a bit of soap and water is way cheaper and does a better job.


Go ahead and do this to save money if this pleases you. You will not be the first. The Romans used a sea sponge on a stick - because it was all they had. I did the washing before when I was young. Washing dirty diapers, snotty handkerchiefs and blood soaked reusable sanitary pads loses its charm very quickly.. And you do use a lot of water and it must be hot. And the amount of fecal matter you get on your hands and the wash cloths is very difficult to fully eliminate. Boiling helps but that costs a lot of electricity or wood. Not to mention the waste of time when you could be doing other more productive and cost efficient activities.


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## Evons hubby

Yeppers, it’s how I do it. Much cheaper, but mostly does a much better job. I’ve found Luke warm water to do a very good job. I like the fecal matter to simply be gone, not just smeared around until bath time. But to each their own,


----------



## emdeengee

Lots of work to successfully remove fecal matter from cloth. Not only do you need supplies including very hot water but you have to consider the time it takes and the fact that the work load is constant. I can earn enough money to buy toilet paper for weeks just working half an hour.

If you seriously use your hands to clean yourself then you should consider installing a bidet. Has worked wonderfully well all over the world.


----------



## emdeengee

*How to Wash Clothes With Poop On Them*
Remove as much poop as possible. Soak the garment in warm water for 30 minutes, then apply an enzymatic cleaner to the affected area. Let that sit for 15 minutes before putting the garment in the wash. Run a hot, heavily-soiled cycle, with detergent. If there are still stains, run an extra cycle with bleach or white vinegar. Tumble dry.


----------



## Evons hubby

emdeengee said:


> *How to Wash Clothes With Poop On Them*
> Remove as much poop as possible. Soak the garment in warm water for 30 minutes, then apply an enzymatic cleaner to the affected area. Let that sit for 15 minutes before putting the garment in the wash. Run a hot, heavily-soiled cycle, with detergent. If there are still stains, run an extra cycle with bleach or white vinegar. Tumble dry.


You can also put them in a cauldron, boil them for two hours while constantly stirring, change water, repeat twice more, then beat them on a flat rock next to a steam of flowing water for an hour. When finished bring to house, run through washing machine on heavy soiled cycle three times... tumble dry.

or

wet washcloth in warm water, apply a bit of soap, clean bottom, rinse with warm water immediately. 

I prefer the latter method.


----------



## emdeengee

To each his own but not something I consider hygienic enough. Particularly if children. are using the wash cloth method. To have fecal matter on their hands (even small amounts because you know they are not using nail brushes or the same washing techniques as surgeons) when they come into the kitchen would make anyone gag. Rinsing the washcloth is not enough to remove fecal matter or bacteria. Toilet hygiene is the main reason the world grows millions of trees - helps with oxygen as well.


----------



## Evons hubby

emdeengee said:


> To each his own but not something I consider hygienic enough. Particularly if children. are using the wash cloth method. To have fecal matter on their hands (even small amounts because you know they are not using nail brushes or the same washing techniques as surgeons) when they come into the kitchen would make anyone gag. Rinsing the washcloth is not enough to remove fecal matter or bacteria. Toilet hygiene is the main reason the world grows millions of trees - helps with oxygen as well.


One question here, what laundry process do you employ for your washcloths used for bathing? You know, the ones you use to wash your bottom with after smearing fecal matter on it with paper?


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## emdeengee

The same as described above on how to clean clothes (or cloth) with poop on them. You should be using something when washing underwear or even pants. Lots of these cleaners available even for pet messes.


----------



## Pony

Terri said:


> I crush up any excess eggs shell and all. It gives them extra calcium.


We do that as well. 

Do you dry yours before crushing? I keep the supply of eggshells near the range, and pop in a tray or two after using the oven. Really makes it easier to crush them up.


----------



## Terri

No, I don't dry the shells. When I have too many eggs I just make an omlet and include the shells. They LOVE it


----------



## emdeengee

My Mom always put egg shells into the water she used to water her house plants and flowers. She always had the most colourful and healthy plants. I of course have copied her. Not quite the same result for me but I seem to have a rather brown thumb for some types of plants.


----------



## painterswife

Bidet. You really should try it.


----------



## ladytoysdream

I am going to take some time and reread this thread. 
Trying to get myself into thinking outside the box. Got to be creative. 
Motivate myself to do things I have not done in awhile to save money. 
Groceries are one thing I have some control over. Going to make a 
small price book to carry with me so I can check it if need be in a store.


----------



## jimLE

I had gotten a nook color tablet back in 2013.in which it has a shopping app called out of milk.i find it very handy in everyway possible, when it comes to my spending.it took me some time to learn and to get it set up right for me.but yet,it comes in real handy for staying within my budget. especily seeing how I have a catagory for each place I shop at..I even have a catagory for when I go camping, and another for possible power outages.


----------



## ladytoysdream

Are any of you doing things to bring in extra money ? 

I plan on putting in a bigger garden. Hoping to come up with some ideas 
what to grow that could be sold. I got a small market that I can take things to.
I plan on doing more canning this year for myself.


----------



## alida

I didn't go looking, but was offered a free lance job that I couldn't resist. It involves searching historical newspapers for specific events and that's something I just enjoy. If this one works out there is potential for a few similar assignments and I'll take them. The extra income will go straight into savings. 
On the home front, I live in an apartment so gardening is restricted to what I can grow on my balcony, a cozy 5x7 foot space. The apartment above me doesn't have a balcony so I do get quite a bit of sun. For the most part I grow cherry tomatos, chives and a lot of herbs and flowers. There is a cost savings to growing the herbs. Most plants cost me $2-$3. I use a lot of herbs in my cooking and the cost to buy fresh is significantly more. Besides, I just like stepping out on the balcony to snip some basil, oregano,thyme etc. Birds and butterflies find my 12th floor balcony because of the herbs and flowers and watching them is priceless.


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## ladytoysdream

I think I better reread this thread. 
Prices are beyond insane on some items. 

Trying to think of ways to make a few extra dollars to make sure we 
stay current on all bills. 
Not even sure there is much left to cut back on anymore. 
If we really need it, I put it in the cart, try not to stress when paying the total. 
I do , do a lot of comparing prices. 
But groceries, gas, and bills are mainly pay them or go without.


----------



## Pony

For the past couple of years, I was enjoying the luxury of an extra refrigerator. SOooo nice, especially during milking months.

I consolidated the two into one this past week, to cut back on the electric bill.

Not using the clothes dryer at all. Everything on the line.


----------



## Pony

We are considering using our phones to access the net on the desktop. We're already paying for phone service, and the internet connection at home is almost $70/month. 

We won't be able to stream, though, and it will be harder for me to do my billing, but $70 is a good chunk of change.


----------



## jimLE

I moved into a apartment 4 years ago.in which I have way to much stuff in every room..in which I figured that makes the central heat and air run longer than they should.plus I'm in a situation where I have to move for reasons I won't get into.and because of everything, I've been packing and throwing stuff away. I'm hoping that downgrading the amount of stuff I have will cut down on the Bill's. by allowing Easter and better air flow.in turn ac and heat won't run as long.


----------



## Forcast

Cold water washing and line dry. Have litter of pups .switched to washable potty pads. But with washing and soap not so sure it saves money. But the pups dont rip the cloth one up. 
Sales are slow this go round. Guess less people with disposal extra income. 5 months ago puppy sales just about stop. I watch how old and how much puppies are going for on the sales sites. Kinda like watching sales at the livestock auction. Good indicator for the economy


----------



## Pony

Another cost-cutting suggestion...


----------



## Forcast

Mayo mustard on white bread


----------



## ladytoysdream

Saw a cookie shop on FB. 
Price for the smores cookies was $ 29 
customer said, I can make them for $ 5 
owner of the store, said wonderful ! ....we're hiring  

it was cookie dough flattened, put, a crushed graham on top
on the dough, maybe 1/4 of one...then a marsh mellow, ...wrap the dough up and 
around that. Bake. Looked really good when it came out of oven


----------



## Evons hubby

We dropped cable, went to video streaming on internet.


----------



## Rodeo's Bud

ladytoysdream said:


> Are any of you doing things to bring in extra money ?
> 
> I plan on putting in a bigger garden. Hoping to come up with some ideas
> what to grow that could be sold. I got a small market that I can take things to.
> I plan on doing more canning this year for myself.


I'm working 7 days a week. The bottom will drop out. Make hay while the sun shines and all that.


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## ladytoysdream

I don't have the time or patience to work anymore. 
I keep finding things here to sell. 
Not getting rich by any means. 
But every dollar helps.


----------



## Pony

ladytoysdream said:


> I don't have the time or patience to work anymore.
> I keep finding things here to sell.
> Not getting rich by any means.
> But every dollar helps.


I'm running short on both time and patience myself. Down to one client, and when this person is ready to move on, I'll be bringing in my shingle.

Too much to do on the farm, and the gas to drive to the office is getting to be a real burden.


----------



## jimLE

this one horse,one grocery store mud hole town is getting to me.and so is some of the people here..so I've stated looking for a different city to live in.i think that I've found one.so I'll be making calls next week.i hope the prices there are lower.lol


----------



## Max Overhead

Make my own dog food, deodorant, soap. Work every day of the week, but only for three hours, a couple miles down the road. Don't run ac unless it's in the mid-90s, otherwise use fans. Heat with wood. Grow chickens, grapes, figs. Don't chase women or the lifestyle which is marketed to and expected of me. All my vehicles are paid for and half of them are older than I. House is paid for. I would be way ahead but I bought the adjacent property to me and the farm house on it is eating money like a duck eats camel ****. It's all good, though.


----------



## FaeLeaf

Buy in bulk, never eat out (and I mean never because you can cook much healthier and tastier food for a fraction of the price), zero food waste. 

We've been making tons of stocks from all our leftover bones and scraps of meat, cartilage, etc. and trading the stocks for food or making super cheap stews to cushion food bills.

We also frequent farmers markets and take all the scrap produce to turn into animal feed. We were raising 40-50 rabbits for about $100/month this way. The only expense was alfalfa hay and bedding.


----------



## TxGypsy

Forcast said:


> Cold water washing and line dry. Have litter of pups .switched to washable potty pads. But with washing and soap not so sure it saves money. But the pups dont rip the cloth one up.
> Sales are slow this go round. Guess less people with disposal extra income. 5 months ago puppy sales just about stop. I watch how old and how much puppies are going for on the sales sites. Kinda like watching sales at the livestock auction. Good indicator for the economy


I am seeing lots of dogs being dumped out in the country (shelter charges a hefty intake fee) a lot more recently. Dog food is going up rapidly like everything else.


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## TxGypsy

Since I haven't been raising grains, and it's only me, it's been more economical to buy meat and eggs until now. That is no longer the case. I'm working on building a 2 section predator proof chicken pen. Materials are not cheap! However if food prices keep trending up rapidly like they have been it will be a good investment. 
I can't do much physical labor now or I'd go back into keeping bees. Instead I am going to dust off and service my sewing machines. I've worked as a professional seamstress on and off since I was 17. That's quite a while 😉


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## Danaus29

My mom made good money as a seamstress. She got tired of the bs customers and went back to working in a factory after a few years. But she was operating a bridal gown shop. Something about a wedding dress brings out the evil in women.


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## TxGypsy

Danaus29 said:


> My mom made good money as a seamstress. She got tired of the bs customers and went back to working in a factory after a few years. But she was operating a bridal gown shop. Something about a wedding dress brings out the evil in women.


They don't call them Bridezilla for nothing!!! I did bridal a long time ago. Never again!
'Make it a size smaller.... I'm on a diet'. Every single time! If anything make it a bit bigger. Stress eating, bloated from partying with the bridesmaids, etc.
I worked for an interior decorator for a while. I enjoyed the work but she was a nightmare! Sailors would have blushed listening to that old woman cuss.
I've done quite a bit of contract sewing but I'm considering selling directly. If I'm doing the work I might as well make all the profit.
Not quite sure what I'd like to make. I love making purses and bags but it's never a good idea to try and compete with Walmart.


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## ladytoysdream

Seamstress work. Go to craft shows. Walk around, See what is being sold. 
Not what is offered, but what people are buying and carrying out. 
One thing I saw recently was these cloth bowls, that go under bowls 
or plates and go in microwave. Like a fat pot holder. Individual use. 
My friend really liked them and bought 4 
I was like I don't need them and passed. Selling for $ 6 each. 
One lady had baby clothes. Another had doll clothes.


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## ladytoysdream

Guess I need to go back and read this thread again from the start. 

The budget is holding steady. Gave up a few things. 

Thinking a bigger, better garden next year. 
More sunflowers for the birds. 
More scratch cooking. 
Being creative.
Thinking outside the box. 
More serious bargain hunting / price comparisons.


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