Reducing expenses

[savingdogs]

No....that is what it is supposed to look like. You just shake it before use.

Did I say it was pretty? There are no emulsifiers. The proper consistency should be like egg flower soup.

It is only "gelled" before you stir it that first time.

You DID it......now go do some wash!

 

[okiegirl]

oh.... gotcha.
I'm sitting in there straining it like a goofball.
I did one load with strained soap, but I'll just take your word for it and start to bottle it up.


thanks

 

[okiegirl]

oh, one more question as far as how much to use.

I'm just going to reuse my liquid laundry soap bottle. So do I use the same amount? like half the lid like always?

 

[savingdogs]

I was just going to measure, but I use about half a lid of a Tide bottle I've recycled. If something is heavily soiled, I double it.

 

[okiegirl]

thank you so much !

 

[tortoise]

I had a thought...

My fiance made the 2011 budget based off of 2010. But we had a lot of one-time expenses in 2010

$500+ for sheet metal for his truck "hut"
$250+ for new flooring in a bedroom
$400 for new HE washer and dryer
$60 for chest freezer
$200 (ish) for fixing my car
$200 (ish) for tires for my car
$1500+ for engagement ring
$100(ish) start-up garden costs (fence, posts, seeds, fertilizer, containers, plants) All will be reused and I have almost all of my seeds for 2011 by bartering/sharing seeds

A rough estimate is $3,000-ish. $250-ish per month.

But then again... we plan to replace the completely nonfunctional gutters this year. And he is still shopping for a rototiller. I fully intend to put in 2 row greenhouse in spring (rebar, PVC, plastic) So it's probably right-on to not "edit" the budget for those one-time expenses. If we don't have any disasters, 2012 should be less expensive.

This explains for a lot of the budget gap I couldn't figure out. But assuming we didn't have those one-time expenses and got rid of cable, we would be not spending $300 - $350/mo.

Reducing expenses by $100/mo shouldn't be THAT hard. Feels like that's my part to take care of since I don't make decisions on the bigger things.

He has budgeted $250/month for "groceries" and $450/month for "household." If it is from the grocery store it goes in that category. If it is from WalMart, it is in household. Although most of our WalMart shopping is actually groceries. Clothing gets included in that category too.

I realized the $450/mo household also includes oil changes, tires.

I wonder how low I can get the $250/month grocery category down. Last shopping trip there was 'bout $55. That including getting 'bout 15 pounds of meat.

I think I can cut grocery by $100/month if I keep going with my grocery shopping strategy.

*Stock up on the lowest price. And don't buy more until the sale price is equal or lower to the previous lower price.
*All the stores run the same sales at the same time - check out and find which are lowest.

It will take a little while for the savings to start really adding up. Probably 3 months? I have to at least inventory the chest freezer so I don't buy something when I have already stocked up at an even lower price.

G2G - inventory and stretching a chicken are calling. :cool

 

[tortoise]

I am thinking going to USDA serving sizes (versus what manufacturers put on the label) will help.

Should 3 people REALLY go through 2 gallons of milk in a week? And other such questions.

Understanding what serving sizes should be will help us with nutrition, leftovers, and WASTED FOOD!

 

[freemotion]

If you are concerned about nutrition, do NOT go with anything the USDA promotes. Their defined job is to find markets for farm products, and the main farm products in this country are grains and soy. So their job is to promote those, not to promote health. Your health based expenses will ultimately skyrocket if your family eats by the USDA recommendations.

Really, the best way to reduce grocery expenses and promote health is to buy only (or at least mostly) things without a label with serving sizes on it.....whole foods.

 

[lwheelr]

Yes, 2 gallons of milk a week is ok. 2-3 cups per day is normal.

2 cups per day for each of you is 42 cups of milk. 2 gallons is only 32 cups.

Cheese counts to offset that also.

 

[tortoise]

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/

The my pyramid meal planner is cool! Very easy to use. I am going to figure some of my homemade recipes and see how "bad" they are. I'm ignoring the fat "meter" function and going of the Calories and servings.

I can see already from putting in our lunch today that I am eating more meat than necessary. I can put in a meal and get each person's portion, etc. Very cool. IF I can remember to use it, I can lose weight (I put my goal weight in my profile instead of my current weight) and quit wasting food - especially for my son. I think we are giving him too large of portions.