overtherainbow
enthusiast
Reged: 10/23/04
Posts: 268
Loc: New England
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Some of the things I have done to cut expenses
rent movies from library --free
read the newspaper online --free
cut out buying junk process food (sodas, chips etc) bad for you anyway. Stopped buying Wine. Drink water instead.
stopped Long distance land line and bought a phone card for $20 at big discount store. Much cheaper.
Any other penny pinching ideas for short term (hopefully) cash flow problems??
Any ideas on cheap but decent internet service providers - I gotta go back to a modem. My DSL bill is killing me.
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sugarb
enthusiast
Reged: 12/16/04
Posts: 375
Loc: In the Heartland on America
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Happily allow your husband and his $1000 a week gambling habit leave you for the barely legal girl at work! That was a huge savings for me! :smirk:
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Melody
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 06/02/04
Posts: 10102
Loc: California
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no more dry cleaning; cheap gas instead of national brands; ride the bus to work; do your own mani/pedi; highlight your own hair; sew; turn down the furnace and water heater; the list is endless.
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overtherainbow
enthusiast
Reged: 10/23/04
Posts: 268
Loc: New England
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I could never down the water heater. A hot shower is the cornerstone of civilization as far as I am concerned. I would eat beans for a month before I would turn down the hot water. The Dryel Dry cleaning kit to use with the Dryer works well and is a lot cheaper than dry cleaning. Using a little toaster over for baking a small serving saves on energy bill. Groom my own dog. I looked him in the face and said "Muffin --If I can't get my hair done--you are DEFINITELY not either." I bought a pair of dog clippers/ He barks at them. OK he looks like a sheared sheep but it's done.
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almostheaven
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 07/13/04
Posts: 10468
Loc: West Virginia
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I used to faithfully read clothing tags before buying. Anything that even remotely resembled dry cleaning went back on the rack. Until I saw the Dryell commercials. Now I use that so if I happen to like something that turns out to be dry clean only, I can still purchase it and not have to be bogged down with running to a dry cleaner every time I want to wear an outfit.
Back when I had no pennies to actually pinch, I kept my heat on about 62 and wore sweaters in the house, became a harpie about turning off the lights, held lots of yardsales, visited the flea market for bargains often, and lived on a diet of beans, potatoes and ramen noodles. LOL I also carpooled with my mother to work to save on gas. And being too cheap to purchase a lawnmower, borrowed one from my friend at Exxon on the corner.
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Char Fox
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daphyne
journeyman
Reged: 01/20/05
Posts: 90
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I shop off season - winter clothes in spring, spring in the fall, etc. - if it's not on sale, we aren't buying it! :)
Make my grocery list according to the aisles/what's needed at the store - and, this particular store, if you bring in the competors sale ad will give you the item for 2 cents below the listed sale price. I also, do all my shopping once a month, make a list through the month of what's needed. This helps to cut down on the impulse buying and I try really hard not to take the kids shopping with me, although, they are getting better at the no junk food rule.
I shop alot at the thrift stores and have much luck with buying items with the price tag still on them.
I did go back to dial-up as modem was killing me too! Keep the heat turned down, don't run the dishwasher with the dry cycle on, don't let the car get below 1/2 tank - and I can go a long ways on 1/2 tank.
Something that helps, but that is time consuming, is to write down literally, every cent you spend for a month. This will help you to see where everything is going and what is an extra not needed purchase.
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overtherainbow
enthusiast
Reged: 10/23/04
Posts: 268
Loc: New England
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I do feel that vacations are important but it is hard or near impossible on a divorcee budget. I started thinking creatively about it. Hotels are expensive. camping is awful. So I go on summer weekend daytrips. I get in the car early at 7 am. By noon I can usually get to a nearby city or lovely park. I bring a cooler full of sandwiches and cold drinks . So other than the gas and maybe an admission ticket to a park or museum pretty cheap. No it's not a week at a resort but there are often great places to go within a day's drive. If you call museums and parks sometimes they have one free admission day a month.
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Gecko
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 19803
Loc: Third rock from the sun
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Hotels aren't all that expensive if you know how to "shop" around. Call the various hotels in the area you are looking to travel and find out what their rates are and of course...amenities. When you have a list of rates, then call back to the ones you are interest in and let them know that XYZ Hotel is charging XX amount and if they can beat it...most of them will.
You can sometimes get "upgrades" for free, just by asking.
"Layaway" is another great way to purchase those items that you want. Most places like K-Mart and WalMart offer "layaway" for 60 - 90 days.
For larger ticket items...shop around for stores that offer "90 days same as cash". That is how my ex and I bought our first livingroom set.
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If you air your dirty linen in public, expect people to comment on the skid marks!
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shymom
recently joined
Reged: 04/12/05
Posts: 5
Loc: Louisiana
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My Idea is also a little time consuming but it helped me to build a savings. I make a meal menu for the week (including leftover ideas). I live in Louisiana and am lucky enough to have a cajun mother-in-law with great ideas for this. I also took our bank statements for two months and averaged what we spent eating out be it a quick drive through or a "date night" for my husband and I. I have the average from those two months auto drafted into a savings and taught myself how to make our fav. recipies from our fav. resturants. I moved date night home and it could not be more romantic. It's a win win.
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sugarb
enthusiast
Reged: 12/16/04
Posts: 375
Loc: In the Heartland on America
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That's a change I need to make, shymom! As a single mom of 3 eating machines, sometimes my kids are literally in tears from hunger pains. We hit the drive through far too much!
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