Cut in pay = cut in expenditures

[Wifezilla]

My hubby is trying to quit smoking. Since the new tax hike, I told him to visualize Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi rolling around in a pile of his money every time he lights up

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Oooooh . . . that's good Wifezilla!

 

[Homesteadmom]

That is a really good one wifezilla!!

Drake, I am hoping & rying to convinence him to at least cut back. He admitted the other night to his sister there are only 2 times he really enjoy's smoking after a meal & after sex. So that would not be many to smoke if he cut it down to just those. At that rate he would only need about 1 carton a month. We could manage that a whole lot easier than 7 cartons a mo. Yeah I said 7 a mo. He smokes a lot. He has been trying to eat sunflower seeds instead of smoking but I don't think it is working for him as he still smokes the same amt. I would be happy if he cut his smoking in half to start with. I really think he is one who needs to taper off, I don't think cold turkey would work with him. If he was not successful he would get discouraged & think he couldn't & probobly end up smoking even more. I would be happy if he went down to 4 a mo & then tapered down from there too. So we will see. It is starting to cause him other problems too. And seeing that his mom died from COPD due to smoking he really should try & so something now rather than later when it is too late. She died a little over 2 yrs ago at the age of 61(way too young). Not to mention we took care of her for 7 yrs after she was diagnosed & the last yr she was bedridden. So he knows what can happen. Sometimes I just want to sooooooo badly.

 

[reinbeau]

I am still always amazed at the hold smoking can have on you. I quit years ago, 28+, when they were 75 cents a pack. I was up in NH the other day, and there was a sign up warning smokers the tax was going up April 1st and to stock up now. The woman ahead of me in line bought a whole case of cartons - for $560!!!!! She said they weren't for her, and I have to admit, I didn't smell a smoker in front of me. She must have had someone in her family who smoked like a chimney, or she was looking to make a nice profit in April!

We have been living on unemployment since October 31st, with minimal income from my Pilates instruction. We are at the bare bones for most things, if it gets any worse the cable will have to go, and that will cut me off from the internet, that might not be a bad thing some days!

 

[TanksHill]

I completely understand your situation. We are experiencing kinda the same thing. It seems like you are way ahead of the game.
One thing I have been doing is stretching my meals. I have been using remains of dinner to make another with just the addition of a couple things. Like the other night I made a kinda large roast and had plenty of gravy and veggies in it. So I poured it into a 9 x 13 and stuck a crust on top. Beef pot pie!!! Wa la.
Last month I think I reduced my food bill by close to 30%. Not buying the extras and using all whole foods from scratch.
Selling eggs is a great idea. I have 24 hens and have been selling about 8 dozen a week. At 3.00 a dozen it actually pays for their feed and a bit more.

Good luck and post any more ideas you get. I would love to hear them. g

 

[freemotion]

Well, from your number of posts, looks like you've been here a while!!! I have gotten so many good ideas here. I find it good to look through some of the older threads again and I generally find ideas that seemed like too much work at the time, or didn't apply to me when I first read them. I am often startled to see that now the ideas sound just right, or not so difficult, or that what seemed overwhelming no longer is because of other skills I've learned since reading those posts.

 

[2dream]

The best stop smoking aid I have found for those who can't quit cold turkey is called One Step At A Time. Its a series of filters. You don't have to commit to stopping smoking you only have to commit to using the filters. The cost is less than a carton of cigarettes.
Sometimes for dedicated "I love my cigs" smokers, the thought of quitting is enough to make you double up on those smokes. LOL
I find that men have a problem with the filter though because of the way it looks. But something to look into.
You can order them over the internet as stores don't ususally carry them.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I completely understand your situation. We are experiencing kinda the same thing. It seems like you are way ahead of the game.
One thing I have been doing is stretching my meals. I have been using remains of dinner to make another with just the addition of a couple things. Like the other night I made a kinda large roast and had plenty of gravy and veggies in it. So I poured it into a 9 x 13 and stuck a crust on top. Beef pot pie!!! Wa la.
Last month I think I reduced my food bill by close to 30%. Not buying the extras and using all whole foods from scratch.
Selling eggs is a great idea. I have 24 hens and have been selling about 8 dozen a week. At 3.00 a dozen it actually pays for their feed and a bit more.

Good luck and post any more ideas you get. I would love to hear them. g

I usually save the left over taco meat(I just use salt & pepper to season it) for spaghetti sauce use. I have a few bags of it in the freezer. Then the spaghetti goes farther as it is more filling. I usually use the extra roast for stew or BBQ sandwiches. But that is a great idea about the beef pot pie. With a fresh ground whole wheat crust that sounds delic!! I was wanting to get up to 24 layers & since I only use organic feed(trying to get ahead on it too) & garden scraps to feed them I sell mine for $3/dz too. But my mom gets them for $2/dz(family discount) as will my brother. One thing I did last summer to save money was I did not buy potatoes, we just used all the zukes & yellow squash we got out of the garden instead & over the holidays I went crazy buying potatoes, I still have a 10lb bag in the pantry of them left. In fact they are $1.47/10lbs this week so I will have dh stop at the store on his way home from work on Mon to get a few & store them in the classrm closet as it is the coolest one in the house.
Last nght dh said to me we should not sell our extra range we have since it can be converted to propane & we have the tanks, I could use it this summer to cook & bake on outside & not heat up the house which will help with the elec bill & the gas bill too. So I am unposting it from craigslist!!! I have been wanting an summer kitchen for baking & canning for a few yrs now & I might not get the building but at least I have the range! I am downsizing my internet service from highspeed too. It only saves $5/mo but $5 is $5 more in the budget. I am contemplating a part time job in the evenings maybe for like 3 4hr shifts a week. That is if we can't do it on our own. But we should be able to.

 

[farmerlor]

One of my best ways to cut expenses is to cook BIG. On days like today when it's cold and snowy I will bake like a madman. Hey, even really poor people need a cookie and some home baked bread. Then I put everything in the freezer knowing that I did double duty by helping to heat the house while I filled the freezer with food. I also cook big, big pots of soup or spaghetti sauce and can them. If you don't have a garden like me you can buy the big gallons of tomato sauce for a whole lot cheaper than the little cans. I need to find a source for 25 pound bags of corn meal....

 

[enjoy the ride]

Homesteadmom- I'm full of admiration for you- you're the queen of lemonaide. Never a whine just a getting on with it. How proud your family must be.
I suppose you already confine the cooling to one or two rooms - maybe your bedroom and the family room. Then the kids can "camp out" in the family room at night. But i'm no one's expert and right now I have the pellet stove and the wood stove going. We had a return to winter yesterday- hopefully gone tomorrow.
Is it possible that your husband's drop in income is enough you could qualify for some unemployment- in our state, if you loose enough income, you can get a proportion of unemplyment if it lasts long enough.
I hope it turns around soon for you but I could take lessons from your abilities on coping.