Trying to be thrifty . . . .

[Bucky]

Hi . . . . As a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), I try and save my family money any way I can.  (I guess some of this is guilt that I am not contributing financial money to our income . . . however, I DO a lot of "unpaid" jobs that I feel make up for the difference.)   

Anyhow . . . was curious to hear what others do to cut corners and save money and time.  We all know we only have a small allotment of spoons . . we need to spend them wisely.   

Coupons . . . anybody clip and use them religiously?  I do a pretty good job of cutting them out . . if I would just put them in my purse and quit leaving them on the dining room table when I go to the store.   GRRRRRR

Along the coupon line . . . do you "stock pile" good deals on nonperishable items . . i.e., toilet paper, Kleenex, etc.?  In our house we go through a LOT of Kleenex since our son has allergies.  Recently our Kroger store had boxes of Kleenex, 200 ct. for $1 box.  I bought 16 boxes one trip, and another 8 boxes another trip.  We saved quite a bit on those 24 boxes.   

This past weekend we had to run some errands and ate lunch out.  As we were pulling out the driveway I told the boys, "I should have brought the coupon book that came in the mail the other day" . . but, didn't back up and go in the house to get it.  We run our errands, eat, run a few more errands and come home.  Later that night I'm looking through this coupon book and lo and behold, there was a $5.00 off coupon in there for the restaurant we ate lunch at!!  GRRRRRR   

This week looking through the grocery store ads they have ground chuck on sale.  I'm going to buy a bunch . . brown it and bag them in one pound bags to put into the freezer.  Makes it a lot easier to whip something up for dinner without having to take the time to cook the meat first before adding to a dish.   With son in sports after school and odd times getting home - any way I can save some meal making time is a saving of my spoons.   

There are a lot of "clearance" sales on right now of summer items.  If you have a little bit of money available now, you could save $$$ by picking up some of these clearance items to use for Christmas gifts, birthdays, anniversaries, wedding showers,baby showers, etc.

I'm going to brag now . . . during the summer I came across some brand new baby items at a garage sale, tags still on, for dirt cheap.  A baby hooded towel - 25c!!     The sticker on the back, from Kohl's, said $10!  A 3-pc. outfit - shirt, bib overalls and a hat, $2 (don't remember what the store tag said).  A 5-pc. set of onesie undershirts, Chaps / Kohl's, $3 (don't remember the price of this one either).   Just added a new package of baby washcloths (on sale) to all of the above and I had a $50 baby shower gift for less than $10.   

Just remember . . . just because an item is "on sale" . . if you don't NEED it, or won't USE it, it's not a bargain!!

Bucky

[Katybarstool]

Well done Bucky - you put me to shame. I do the bulk buying of bathroom products etc, but will go to the store for one item that is cut price, and come out with several that are not

Kathyx

[Bucky]

Kathyx - that is exactly what the store was hoping you would do!!!  I think they call those products they they lure you into the store with "loss leaders".  They will offer them at a bargain price hoping once they have you in the store you will buy other "non sale" items. 

They say the longer you stay in a store . . . the more you buy!!   

Also, have you noticed the "music" they play in the stores?  That too will cause you to linger and buy more!!   

Bucky

[Madderakka]

I leave my coupons at home all the time.  I need to get more organized with them, but that takes effort. It's on my list of things to do.... if I could just remember where I put the list!

[navydad]

we use coupons,, and we shop at the store that gives us cents off on gas for every 50 bucks we spend,, lot of buy one get one free,, stock up on can goods when there on sale,, we have enough on the card to get gas at about 1.25 a gallon,, its a 30 gallon max,, we fill up both cars and I fill up the can for the lawnmower,,

[SLEEPY101]

I will pull try to save coupouns to use. But my neat freak husband always throws them away. I guess in his book cleaniness come before thrityness.

Have you heard about a just between friends sale. It is a huge consinment sale of children's items. There is one coming this month hope I can find some bargains

[Pisces24]

Well for one thing, I never buy pop out of the machines at work. I either buy it on sale or get the liters for $1 and refill the bottles and take to work. The machines are $1.25 for 20ozs where I work.

I got one of those "hamburger press" cookers and use that instead of fast food. But I do get a hankering for KFC chicken so I use the coupons.

This may really sound dumb/odd but I think it is a psychologial thing. I use $1 bills more often. It looks like more when you have to count out 10 of them instead of just handing a ten$ bill to pay.  It gets me to think a little more on what I am spending. It does seem to help a little bit anyway.

PS: I tend to forget my coupons too or when I do find them, they've expired. Durn they make them expire sooo quick!

[Carolina]

OK

I only shop at Wal-Mart or the warehouse stores.  IF I go into a regular store, I only 'cherry pick" = buy the loss leaders, the things the store is actually selling below cost to get you in the door.  Then walk away.

In my humble opinion when you go into an upscale grocery store you might as well just put  $40 in a box at the door.

I also buy in quantity whatever is the best price.

We go to matinee movies.  Well, now we are seniors and the price is always low.

I use coupons for restaurants.  There are a ton of them.

I comparison shop on line and buy EVERYTHING that way.  Amazon is amazing with NO TAX and NO SHIPPING.

I shop Kohl's because I get the discount cards, and sometimes hit the jackpot with 30% off!

My husband shops Home Depot and Lowe's.

We drive gas efficient cars and buy gas at the big box warehouses for 10-15 cents less a gallon.

We drive our cars until they cannot be driven any more, and we take good care of them.

I've had ex cars towed away to be sent for scrap metal to Japan!   

Until recently we bought used cars, because American cars lose 30% of their value when you drive them out the door. 

Buy used and drive it forever, save thousands and thousands of dollars,  And now you can get car histories!  So you know what you're getting.

Now we drive Hondas, bought new and worth every penny. 

The Honda I totaled in June was 10 years old, and we would have driven it 10 more years.  The Civic I replaced it with gets 40 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg in town.

I spend real money on:  my hair, my nails, having my house cleaned by a company whose workers get worker's comp and are legal.

I have high speed internet, cable and a DVR (but not HBO) cause they are important to my husband.  One TV is a flatscreen even.

I buy gifts on line after lots of research. 

I send flowers through Proflowers.com, cheaper, fresher, reliable.

I get books at the library.

I belong to the Y for a fitness center.

I use cheap drug store cosmetics (if I use cosmetics) and don't believe a word about "miracle" make up claims.

Same with shampoo. 

I don't care for expensive jewelry, clothing, cars, hotels, vacations, champagne.

I find airfare, hotels and rental cars on line, flying at the optimum times for low fare (if there are any now).

I pay my credit card off EVERY month, period, end of story.

My new mortgage is 4.75.   Amazing no?  30 year fixed.

My husband fixes everything.  I've never called a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician.  He built the second floor on our first house.

We lived with NO furniture for years when we bought our first house.  I'm quite serious.  Beds of course and a kitchen table.  And weird hand me downs from the neighbors for couches and stuff.

Because I wanted to be a stay at home mother on a poverty level income we lived without most things.  I shopped once a month and it had to last through the month, cause my husband was paid once a month.  It was soo worth it. 

This was an era of whole chickens.  I bought them on sale, cut them up, and bagged boneless skinless breasts for special occasions, legs and thighs for family, wings for barbecue, and made soup with the backs.  Oh I  loved the chicken livers, you can't even GET them now.
When I went back to work we put the absolute MAXIMUM every year into our 401K's.   Money you don't see doesn't exist, and if you can't GET AT IT, all the better.

I took a second mortgage on our house to go to a first rate graduate school.  It was worth it.

I  furnished both kids' college apartments by walking early in the morning and finding amazing furniture set out for the large trash pickup.

The kids also attended a university that was part of the benefits of my husband's job, so it was free.  We paid for room and board, but THEY had to contribute $2,000 a year towards that.  "As they grew up I said we will support you through college or until 25 which ever comes first.
I don't care what you do in life, but do something with health insurance!"

I always calculated the trade off of money for time.  And chose time when I could afford it, because my personal life is very important to me.

I buy soda when it is on super sale, at $2.50 a case of 12, stock up.   Very very seldom out of machines.   

They had unlimited 4/10 at Target a month ago, I bought so much it was insane.  But hey, it keeps and if you want a soda, it's there and you don't feel guilty.

Store brand cottage cheese, cheese, tonic water (for my drinks).  Cheapest booze.  Yingling beer, and it rocks!

I could go on for ever and ever.

Great topic!

Kisses

Elaine



I like to have lunch at the big box stores, too when we shop.  Hubby and I share a drink (always) cause married 48 years, what the heck, and there are free refills.   

[Meld256]

Bucky, you bring up an interesting topic. And Carolina, well safe to say I think you've trounced all of us! LOL You have lived a thrifty life. I'm sure your children have learned valuable lessons.

I am 54, married with 3 grown children (who have their own places) and live with my husband of 22 yrs. Our income has been reduced to HALF in the last 6 mths. since I've been unable to work outside our home. (technically still have a job and on medical leave but long story) So, by necessity we've become much more frugile. A few things we've changed are:

If I am able (or hubby helps if he's home) I hang sheets and most clothes outdoors on a retractable line I got at Lowe's for $12, instead of using the electric dryer. It's actually decreased our elec. bill. I also buy borax, Ivory soap and Arm and Hammer Washing Soda to make my own laundry detergent. Supplies are about $15 and it lasts 6 mths at doing a couple loads every 2 days. And it cleans great!

I have started more coupon clipping. Don't spend a lot of time at it, but things we will use I'm on it! A chain grocery has coupons that you can digitally load from their website to your discount card so it helps me when I so often forget to take the paper coupons with me. Or, worse yet, have them with me and forget about them. I'm lucky to remember my list!

In the larger scheme of things, we own two older cars, paid off.  We rent a small house with a nice little porch and yard and a nice small rent! We have a little in an IRA, no credit cards, no loans, and so expenses are small. Good thing since my co-pays cost quite a bit each mth. and prescriptions are expensive. We feel we are making some cost reductions without denying ourselves.
Nice to hear how others are doing it!

[Carolina]

Oh Meld!

The new right thing to do is RENT.

You are so wise.

We were going to rent forever.

But then we found a great house with an amazing mortgage rate.  4.75% fixed 30 year.

The mortgage, plus taxes and insurance are LESS than the rent.

But I'm quite aware that my husband will spend gobs on a house, doing all the work himself, but mulch and wood and things still cost money.

He just put up undercounter LED lights in the kitchen, and all low energy bulbs everywhere.

but you still have to BUY then.

sigh.

Well, it's better than bimbos, right?  And I know where he is.

Kisses

Elaine

[Meld256]

Hi Elaine,

Yes, renting works great for us, at least for the near future. We always enjoyed "doing stuff" to the house we owned previously and we are lucky with this house.  It is about 35 yrs. old and needed some cleaning, painting and fixing when we moved in and the landlord is all on board with anything that will improve it. Been here 2 yrs. and still working on things.

So that's nice and let's me use a little nesting creativity. Of course, it takes me much longer than before my medical issues, but that's ok. Case in point: I recently papered and painted a very small bedroom and it took me 5 weeks! One day I put up 2 strips of paper and was pooped, etc. Ah, life in the slow lane...

You're right. If your husband is working around the house, you know where he is! lol

Take care,
Melinda

[slang]

One of my new ways to save money is with the laundry. I use white vinegar as a softener. Just use it in place of the liquid softener in the washer. No smell and it doesn't leave that gunky slime! I also switched to powder instead of liquid soap and I use half! Still gets a great clean! I also hang everything to dry and try not to use the dryer. You should see all the laundry hanging all over the basement! 

[Carolina]

Oh I didn't OWN a dryer until my second child was OUT of diapers.

And all the FRENCH hang their laundry to dry in special drying closets with all sorts of racks.

It makes so much sense.

Elaine

Clothes lines don't even come with houses anymore of course.