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

[tortoise]

"How can I do all this frugal stuff and still be spending so much money?"

I analyzed my spending patterns. I shop wisely online and TERRIBLY in person! Especially transactions under $40 and those at thrift stores. Thrift stores = not thrifty for me.

My goal is grocery bill of $116/month for family of 4 ($100/month for local grocery, $55 every 3 months for online order which is $50 minimum for free shipping), plus not buying household and hygiene items for 4 months. and 2017 is the year of no thrift store shopping.

Good thing I love online shopping.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Would you like my weather? It's about 30 and we have a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground!

Just for a couple of hours, lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

Well NH Homesteader sure has "hot tub" weather!

Wood burning -- used to have Gatling stove and could adjust the burn by the air control. So, if you have a way to reduce the inflow of air to the firebox, that will "bank" the wood into coals for a sloooowww burn. Saves wood, same heat.

Tortoise -- you will sure SAVE if you don't go into the store.
Your $100 months should work if you grow enough of your own foods and be very selective about what you buy. Chickens for eggs/meat and a goat for milk, cheese, yogurt, at your farm. It does take work, planning and control. No junk food. It will be tight so keep a list on frig so you have one at store. Stop impulse buying.

 

[lcertuche]

A rick is 4x4x8 ft. of wood. Two ricks make a cord.

 

[lcertuche]

To save money write every purchase down to find out where it all is going. Sometimes we get in the habit of buying something without thinking. I use to always get a bottled soda or water every time I checked out and then DH did the same, and then then Wildbunch. Finally it was no less than $6 at checkout just for a drink. I rarely buy drinks any more but DH and the Wildbunch still will grab one but now they get them from the .50 cent machine out front of the store so we are down $2.50 because it's only the 4 or 5 getting the canned sodas instead of bottled. Buying lunch every day or grabbing a coffee before work, hitting the snack machines on break. It adds up if you don't know where the money is going.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Wow that's cheap! A cord here is around $200 green, $250 dry.

 

[Mini Horses]

Icertuche is correct -- that's WHY all the single drink coolers, candy bars, etc. are AT THE CHECKOUT. It's like never go shopping hungry. Maybe, leave the family home when groc shopping & save the $2.50? You will probably buy less, too.

I usually have bottles (& jugs) of water in my car/truck, so that I don't HAVE to stop for a drink. Normally you will find some kind of snack in there -- cranola bars, nuts, apples, etc. -- better for you than many of the fast foods and far, far less expensive. I rarely eat at a fast food. I also refill the water bottles from home, nice, free well water. Carry a sandwich on way out.

When $$$ is tight you soon learn to watch every penny. Why spend $1.25 for water when I have it free? Haven't bought milk at a store in a long, long time, or eggs in years.

 

[tortoise]

Mini Horses, I think $100/month is doable! We have meat chickens and laying chickens and incubate our own. We have sheep for meat. DH hunts on our property for venison too. June - Oct we eat produce from our garden and preserve as much as possible for winter/spring. We have blueberries, raspberries, apples. We have pears and cherry trees planted, not sure how long until they produce. My dairy goat died last year, so I'm waiting to get a bottle baby this spring and then another year before getting milk.

$100/month is for dairy products, beer, chips (so DH doesn't revolt), fresh veggies in winter. The balance of $100/month and the extra $55 every few months for flour, sugar, oats, rice, etc.

 

[Mini Horses]

Ya got it, girl! Sometimes a little beer or wine is needed. LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

Today I was up at 4:30 & at feed store when they unlocked the door at 8AM. Then back for trailer to go get a load of lime for the fields, before the rain predicted for Sun-Wed. Well it was nice when I got up, now? -- winds about 35mph. Can't spread lime...but, will between now & Sunday night. It's all covered and ok until I get to it.

On way home, I stopped at our "Habitat" resale store. Occasionally some good stuff happens, not always BUT with wind I knew I was slowed for farm work. Take a look.

Glory be!! I find a dehydrator for $8. Not fancy, not all the bells and whistles but, looks to never have been used. It's box shows signs of sitting near a window for a long time judging from the sun fade on one side. Been wanting one but, $300 for an Excaliber was just not for me. I mean, I don't know if I will even WANT to use it often. This is a Ronco and a 3 tray model (no longer made, just 5 tray ones) and inside there were 4 trays. Heck the extra tray was $9.95 on the website. So, I download the book for the 5 tray -- same unit -- and I'm ready to roll, er to dry. If I like the effort, I can move on up to the bigger & better ones. Until then, el cheapo runs.

Also got 15 wide mouth pint canning jars, with rings for 25cent each. I buy when I find them.

OK, now I need to find something to dehydrate. There are some potatoes in the kitchen (they were free!) I'll whip out that mandolin slicer and make chips.