Official SS Poll: What do you do to eliminate bills / cut down expenses?

[tortoise]

The local grocery store here has started selling nearly-past-date items. I found 24 yogurt cups for $2 - put those into the freezer for DS10 to take to school for lunch. A gallon of milk for $0.49 and plain yogurt for $0.49 also -- time to make yogurt! LOTS of yogurt this week! We like yogurt flavored with lemon curd, so I can used up some eggs that way too! I also like yogurt flavored with home-canned blueberry lemonade concentrate. Yum!

 

[baymule]

I sell eggs to help cover the cost of my chickens. I sell lambs to help cover the cost of my sheep. We raise feeder pigs and gave two to neighbors in trade for their help on various projects here. We bought two hogs, kept them 36 days on soured corn and goat milk whey, sold one, kept one and made some money on the deal. We have our own eggs and chicken meat. We have our own pork and lamb. We bought half a grass fed beef and saved money versus buying at the store.

 

[Mini Horses]

I've read & contributed to this thread. I can say that some things are harder to do than say. I am embarking on a "trial" FULL retirement (in the next two years) Set retirement income is tough! I don't care how you planned, we all know "life happens". So this year I am making myself work harder toward my own self sufficient life. Raise own foods, raise animal foods, etc., everything mentioned in this thread.

Everyone should take a trip down this path to know where you are and what you can REALLY do. Our visions & our actual doing can sometimes walk on a different path. Do a test run before you find you are in trouble.

I MUST till and plant this next week.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm not that far behind you - OR - if our new director turns out to be an A$$ I might retire earlier than I intended, lol. Soooo, I'll be looking for tips and tricks that you come up with!

 

[tortoise]

My family income is expected to shrink, beginning this summer and for a couple year. Could be losing up to 60% of our income. So I am right there with y'all on the budgeting and saving and side hustling.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Could be losing up to 60% of our income. So I am right there with y'all on the budgeting and saving and side hustling.

YIKES!

 

[tortoise]

It will be okay. Our income has been creeping up. So now it will be like when DH and I first met - except add a farm and an extra kid. We will manage fine - if I succeed at changing my habits.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It can be done. I've gotten used to variable income these last few years. We do great when DH is working - but when his health is acting up I've become accustomed to living just on my salary. We can do that only because when DH is working like he should be (!) I save my entire salary and that's what gets us through in a pinch. I'm downright stingy when it comes to spending money... I don't mind spending on NEEDS - but I'm a scrooge when it comes to spending a lot of money on WANTS. (I'm trying to work on that)

 

[Wannabefree]

I'm planning not just for retirement, but SS retiring too. We all know eventually the vast majority of us will have the knowledge to do all of these things but maybe not the capability. Life DOES happen, and it happens to our bodies too, not just our finances. I'd like to think I could be self reliant into my 90's or longer God willing I actually make it that far, but I don't see myself raising all of my food, animals, etc. etc. etc. at that age, and the new quality of life I've grown accustomed to by knowing and doing is very very expensive when it's someone else knowing and doing and my place to pay for it...just saying...something to really think about.

 

[tortoise]

I'm changing how I do things around here. First transition is doing things in a way I can handle them if DH were to die suddenly. Our plan is to buy a rental house that I could move to and sell the farm if he died suddenly. Second transition, which is similar, is doing thing in a way we can handle them when we're older. DH wants to farm literally until he dies, but his knees are just not going to last that long.