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Post by Voxxkowalski on May 15, 2016 11:29:40 GMT -5
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Post by Clotilde on May 15, 2016 15:02:49 GMT -5
Entertainment- cut the cable and use a subscription based internet service, use the savings to buy a good router and modem, you can also buy an internet based phone service, like Ooma, which is like $3 per month
Do not go out to eat, hone your cooking skills and make your favorite restaurant dishes at home
Wait for movie to come to Amazon Prime, if you have a decent tv, you can eat popcorn at home in your jammies and pause for bathroom breaks, it's better that way anyways.
Go to free lectures put on by libraries, historical societies, museums, or other special interest groups ( we enjoyed one about local foraging put on by a garden club)
Keep your yard attractive and neat and have a potluck party at home
use museum passes and discounts, see if a family membership is a better deal *this makes an awesome Christmas gift for families, too
Visit state parks, national parks and historic sites, as well as city and town wildlife refuges/forests/parks
take up a hobby that is relatively free, like birding and keep a life-list
invest in board games, make friends that like them, host or attend a game night, or go to a chess club, play free games online if you have no friends (close by anyways)
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Post by chestertonian on May 15, 2016 17:38:22 GMT -5
chess club was great for my humility
every time i think I
am remotely good at chess i would go and get my but kicked by some little Asian kid
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Post by jen51 on May 15, 2016 17:44:22 GMT -5
Our families way of keeping finances reigned in is very similar to clotilds.
To add a few:
Cloth diapers
Cloth baby wipes
Cloth kleenex
Cloth napkins
You'd think I do way too much laundry, but really I don't. I wouldn't do the cloth kleenex but my husband blows his nose many times EVERY day of the year. With someone who blows their nose that much, even top of the line kleenex rub the nose raw. I have a system set up that makes the cloth kleenex pretty much hassle free.
We like to raise our own food as much as we can, but we're not allowed livestock in town. We grow a large garden that feeds us through the winter months, and we trade veggies and fermented goods with local families for beef and pork. We raise rabbits and chickens. My husband works a few hours a week at a local creamery and gets a nice discount on raw milk. We don't spend much on food but eat very well.
I make my own household cleaners. They're usually just as effective, cheaper and not toxic.
Fix it yourself. My husband does repairs on the car and around the house and learns how to do it from youtube.
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Post by Voxxkowalski on May 15, 2016 22:40:50 GMT -5
Cloth diapers were a disaster for us.
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Deleted
Past Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2016 0:07:14 GMT -5
never buy new if you can avoid it (except bedding, bed bugs are rampant!). Craigslist is great if you live in a well populated area.
Hillbilly housewife dot com is a good site for home made ideas.
The Tightwad Gazette books are good too.
Thrift stores.
Mentally opt out of our consumer society.
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Post by Voxxkowalski on May 16, 2016 5:10:18 GMT -5
Ive never owned or purchased with debt a new car or truck.
High quality used vehicles are plentiful...and if your wise youll find and make good friends with a local mechanic if your like me and dont know car mechanics beyond basics.
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Post by jen51 on May 16, 2016 8:41:48 GMT -5
Cloth diapers were a disaster for us. Lol. I'm sure they're not for everyone. I was terrified of it at first (I have a really weak stomach), and a tiny bit defensive when my husband expected that I would do it. But I really like it. I started off with a brand that didn't work for her- rubbed her fat little thighs raw.  I almost wanted to quit then, but I tried a different kind and they've worked well. I don't know if it's just me, but I REALLY like cloth diapering- as in, get a lot of enjoyment from the whole process. It seems a little weird and nerdy, but all the same I am glad for it! |
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Post by jen51 on May 16, 2016 8:47:31 GMT -5
never buy new if you can avoid it (except bedding, bed bugs are rampant!). Craigslist is great if you live in a well populated area. Hillbilly housewife dot com is a good site for home made ideas. The Tightwad Gazette books are good too. Thrift stores. Mentally opt out of our consumer society. I agree with the never buying "new". It's crazy what you can find at thrift stores and auctions with the new tags still on it! I'm definitely not opposed to legitimately used at all though. There are some things, as you mention, that just should be bought new (like undergarments and things such as that, imo). Since being married, I don't think either one of us has bought any new clothing items. I make some clothes, so we consider that new. I take that back, my husband bought a nice vest to celebrate the birth of our first born. Thanks for the resources! I'll be checking those out. |
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Post by jen51 on May 16, 2016 8:49:33 GMT -5
Ive never owned or purchased with debt a new car or truck. High quality used vehicles are plentiful...and if your wise youll find and make good friends with a local mechanic if your like me and dont know car mechanics beyond basics. Oh yes, definitely good advice on not going into debt on vehicle purchases. We've decided that our next vehicle will be a mini van. We expect it'll take us about 2 years to save up for a nice used one, but we're starting now. |
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Post by Voxxkowalski on May 16, 2016 11:10:54 GMT -5
Ive never owned or purchased with debt a new car or truck. High quality used vehicles are plentiful...and if your wise youll find and make good friends with a local mechanic if your like me and dont know car mechanics beyond basics. Oh yes, definitely good advice on not going into debt on vehicle purchases. We've decided that our next vehicle will be a mini van. We expect it'll take us about 2 years to save up for a nice used one, but we're starting now. chrysler town and country between 50k -70kmiles the ONLY chrysler product I endorse...safe dependable...easy to drive...affordable...seats 7...good in snow (front wheel drive). Cheap to fix...double sliding doors..perfect for large familys. |
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Post by jen51 on May 16, 2016 11:52:59 GMT -5
I'll remember that recommendation. Thankyou!
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Post by Voxxkowalski on May 16, 2016 13:46:15 GMT -5
I had three
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Post by RitaMarita on May 17, 2016 8:41:12 GMT -5
I am trying to have more "minimalistic" life and buy only things which I need, or which help to inspire me to live a better life... Here is an interesting article on it if anyone is interested: www.growinvirtue.com/simple-life/ |
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Post by Clotilde on May 17, 2016 15:24:50 GMT -5
Buy used, like people said, check Craigslist first, local classifieds, thrift stores, or if you must buy new, research what you want ahead of time and order online. Also, there is no shame in calling a store ahead of time and asking if they have an item in stock, it saves time and money.
Always take a list to the store, do not deviate from the list for regularly priced items. But, if there is something on clearance or on sale that you would normally want or buy, stock up. The savings in the long run make for a win.
My mom and I have two different philosophies on shopping: I buy more than what I need when the price is good in one trip. She takes multiple trips to different places, only buying sale items for that week. So if peanut butter is on sale, she buys one and waits for the next sale. If she runs out and really needs it, she will then take another trip to the store and pay full price for one jar. I buy enough peanut butter to feed an army and I don't worry about it for a long time, and by then, it's on sale again. I do it all in one trip not five.
Always combined trips out, if you are going in one direction to run an errand, think of anything else that you can do on the same trip. My husband and I do this and we switch off, he will run in one place, I will run in the next, depending on what has to be done. We even make an outing out of it.
Reconsider the level of insurance you need to your car, many companies also allow discounts for homeowners insurance and car insurance. If you are a Costco member, they have good bundle rates.
Sometimes jobs offer discounts to certain types of employees. My husband's employer had a discount for the same cell phone service we used, and I found it one day through a fluke Google search.
Pay your bills online or over the phone, save stamps and envelopes. I buy stamps at Costco, and it only saves about 2-3 dollars per year but that's 2-3 dollars more in my pocket.
Change your lightbulbs to the more efficient ones that no one likes. Everyone does like to keep money though.
Consider rebates through your your state for energy efficient appliances and services such as wrapping your hot water tank.
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I almost wanted to quit then, but I tried a different kind and they've worked well. I don't know if it's just me, but I REALLY like cloth diapering- as in, get a lot of enjoyment from the whole process. It seems a little weird and nerdy, but all the same I am glad for it!