I need a support group for budgeters!!

[savingdogs]

There are two save-money threads current right now, my one about staying home and one about Reducing Expenses. You might read those. Zillions of great ideas there, I'm still trying to try them all.

The BEST idea I've implemented off of there was Abifae's. She cooks several big meals a week and partions off portions for leftovers for quick meals and freezes them.

We have done that this month and I think we have done really really good. And I've had less cooking to do. We are trying to buy everything cheap and in bulk, and when I first come home with it all, I decide what "big" meals to make and cook a lot for a couple days. Then we have a big stockpile of homemade "TV dinners" and they are lower fat, lower salt and certainly lower price.

 

[kimnkell]

You "cut back" on cable - does that mean you got rid of it? How about you unplug your TV, cable box, DVD, stereo for a month. See how much of a difference it makes in your electric bill.

It sounds like you are doing a good job on your grocery budget.

You caught me on that one. I may have to get rid of my husband if I totally get rid of the cable plus we are still in contract. I do unplug blow dryer, cell phones, etc when they are not is use. Even only plug in night light at night.

I use a drying rack for some clothes but could put it by the fireplace to dry them more quickly which means I could dry more. One thing I am thankful for is this house is really well insulated we have a fire going and it is 76 degrees inside and 30 outside.

I was wishing earlier that I could have cooked my biscuit on the wood stove. Is there a way? And BTW when I was making soup the stove insert does get hot enough to cook on. In fact it was so hot my soup was boiling.

We got rid of direct tv and cut that bill out which helped a lot. We also got rid of our contract cell phones and got a pay as you go phone for emergencies only. We can't however get rid of internet or our house phone because it is for our business. Yes, you can make your biscuits on the wood stove. I make mine in a dutch oven which works out pretty well.

 

[THEFAN]

I feel your pain.


Get rid of T.V. big savings there
Put your phone down to basic. another chunk saved
Be as frugal as you can with Electric
Get basic internet

We did this and these are all under 100.00 a month now

If you need some of this upgraded for business then it is a right off on taxes. But you have to pay first though before you get the off set

No more new. yard sales, thrift, friends helping with hand downs, and ask yourself do I really need this.


Sell everything in your house you don't need.
I love ebay and other selling sites for this.

This might sound like that Dave's guy plan but I never red his stuff. I did this on our own .

Common Sence living.

You will be surprised what you can live without. I recommend the book possum living by Dolly Freed. I found it to be a support book. When ever I feel I might be gettign off track. I read a few chaps and get right back on. Yes I read the same chapt sometimes too. Get's the mind working and thinking better. IMO

Again I can't say this enough SELL SELL SELL!!
We Americans horde to much stuff.

Just my 2 cents

I was tired of being part of the system and consumed with want want want.

Don

 

[sufficientforme]

Here is a free edition of Dolly Freeds book online instead of buying it!
http://web.archive.org/web/20061224164602/http://www.f4.ca/text/possumliving.htm

*edited to change spelling, I had money on the brain and used addition instead of edition

 

[THEFAN]

Here is a free addition of Dolly Freeds book online instead of buying it!
http://web.archive.org/web/20061224164602/http://www.f4.ca/text/possumliving.htm

Nice

For what a person might have payed that just saved them half an internet bill. For me that would be a months worth of internet. Great idea. Now that is the way to go and do it.

 

[framing fowl]

I know we just have to be careful with every penny and if we do this for 2 years we can get to a place where we can start saving.

Hey Cackle! It sounds like you have done a lot of really good things for yourself. Number one being the fact that you identified the problem! So many people don't even get that far.

I would encourage you to change your focus. If you truly have a workable plan where you will be debt free in 2 years barring emergencies you are really already debt free and just waiting for time to catch up with you.

Don't think about how hard it is. Anything rewarding requires sacrifice and hard work. (Running a marathon, raising a child, planting a garden, getting out of debt.) Instead see if you can make stretching the pennies a game and keep reminding yourself of why you're doing it and how much progress you've made. 2 years is only 730 days or 104 weeks. Find whatever makes you keep your chin up and a smile on your face. Do a debt thermometer where you visually track your progress toward your goal or make a paper chain of 104 links to represent the months left to pay. Whatever it takes but keep your eyes on your goals because your feet will follow so to speak. Now, pat yourself on the back and get to it!

 

[cackle]

I know we just have to be careful with every penny and if we do this for 2 years we can get to a place where we can start saving.

Hey Cackle! It sounds like you have done a lot of really good things for yourself. Number one being the fact that you identified the problem! So many people don't even get that far.

I would encourage you to change your focus. If you truly have a workable plan where you will be debt free in 2 years barring emergencies you are really already debt free and just waiting for time to catch up with you.

Don't think about how hard it is. Anything rewarding requires sacrifice and hard work. (Running a marathon, raising a child, planting a garden, getting out of debt.) Instead see if you can make stretching the pennies a game and keep reminding yourself of why you're doing it and how much progress you've made. 2 years is only 730 days or 104 weeks. Find whatever makes you keep your chin up and a smile on your face. Do a debt thermometer where you visually track your progress toward your goal or make a paper chain of 104 links to represent the months left to pay. Whatever it takes but keep your eyes on your goals because your feet will follow so to speak. Now, pat yourself on the back and get to it!

Fowl,

Everytime I think I have a plan in mind I find a few ways to improve it.I have been reading the sites trying to sel me something so I can save money and now think I have a better handle on how to construct a budget. You really have to break every penny down by check and instead of me thinking I have to come up with X dollars to pay mortgage before the 16th of each month I need to set aside a portion from each check. I am also paid bi-weekly now and will see if I actually get two extra checks a year. I am not sure that I can do this in two years but if I don't start now I know for a fact I will be no better off in two year than I am now.

I like the way of thinking it is 104 weeks away.

We really have started watching what we buy - run the car only when we really need to go to town. We were burning two tanks of gas a week running into town and on errand for stuff we had to have. Now we are making a tank go two weeks in his car. My round trip daily is 31 miles but I drive a Miata so that helps. I always take my lunch and have tube of crackers a can of tuna and a jar of peanut butter at my desk for emergencies. Instant coffee (took time but I got use to it) and take some eggs or a little something for breakfast. Drink water through the day.

My husband sold some watches and pottery on EBAY the "good Stuff" and he even sold a custom gun that he loved. This week we sold 60 chickens and gave away 2 roosters even sold the old girls. We still have around 50.00 which means they should be able to pay their own feed bill again.

One of the gentlemen who bought 12 chickens called and we had really gotten rid of all we needed to but we told him we would sell him 12. He told my husband he uses the envelope system and had printed our ad but did not call until he had the money in hand.

I will check out the Dolly Freed online now.

Thanks to you all.

 

[cackle]

I am reading the book Possum Living and did a search and found this updated interview/story on Dolly
http://www.paige-williams.com/